Alice Neel: People Come First at The Metropolitan Museum of Art March 22- August 1, 2021, is a show for our times. As the Coronavirus pandemic soldiers on, Ms. Neel’s paintings were exactly what my social distance-wearied eyes and spirit needed to see. The colors are vibrant and saturated. The brush strokes are bold and deliberate leaving the mark of the human hand with rich outlines defining bodies and the environments in which they sit. But it is the people. It is the people she presents who stir the deep emotional response.
Living through a year where so many have been starved for human contact, People Come First feels like a salve to a pandemic soul. The human body, in all of its shapes, sizes, ages and colors, demands to be seen, to be recognized, to be accepted. Women’s bodies; pregnant and laid bare; male nudes, the aging Mother, a dead body in a casket. And the artist herself, nude and well into her age. Ms. Neel was calling out for acceptance and compassion seventy years ago. Her belief in the humanity of EVERY-BODY feels like a clarion call for our Now, and shamefully overdue.
I was moved by her courage and determination to paint the world as she experienced it amid her struggle with the demands of motherhood and the conventionalized world. Especially in a time where women and bodies of color were asked to stay in their respective places. The twenty-five works that I have chosen here are but a sampling of a diverse and bold reflection of the human condition. If you are not able to get to The MET to see the show, supporting the museum by buying the Exhibition Catalogue feels like the next best thing. As a companion to the show and the book, the documentary, Alice Neel, by her grandson Andrew Neel, is a deeply moving portrait of the artist and truly a must-see. It is high time Herstory, aka History, takes note. The world cannot afford to forget her adamancy about the inner character and dignity of every human.
“Her outrageous gestures gave women permission to claim space; to claim psychic space, physical space, world space.”
-Mary Garrard – Art Historian – describing Alice Neel in the documentary, Alice Neel.
Title: Margaret Evans Pregnant
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1978
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 57 3/4 × 38 1/2 in. (146.7 × 97.8 cm)
Framed: 60 7/8 in. × 41 in. × 2 in. (154.6 × 104.1 × 5.1 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, Gift of Barbara Lee, The Barbara Lee Collection of Art by Women
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Still Life, Rose of Sharon
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1973
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 40 1/4 × 30 1/8 in. (102.2 × 76.5 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, Arthur M. Bullowa Bequest
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Death of Mother Bloor
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1951
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 26 × 35 in. (66 × 88.9 cm)
Framed: 28 3/4 in. × 38 3/4 in. × 1 15/16 in. (73 × 98.4 × 4.9 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Defares Collection
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: James Farmer
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1964
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 43 3/4 × 30 1/4 × 1 in. (111.1 × 76.8 × 2.5 cm)
Framed: 46 in. × 32 1/4 in. × 1 3/4 in. (116.8 × 81.9 × 4.4 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Gift of Hartley S. Neel and Richard Neel
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Rita and Hubert
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1954
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 34 × 40 in. (86.4 × 101.6 cm)
Framed: 36 3/4 in. × 42 3/4 in. × 1 7/8 in. (93.3 × 108.6 × 4.8 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Defares Collection
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Alice Childress
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1950
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 29 7/8 × 20 in. (75.9 × 50.8 cm)
Framed: 37 7/8 × 27 7/8 in. (96.2 × 70.8 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Collection of Art Berliner
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Marxist Girl (Irene Peslikis)
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1972
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 59 3/4 × 42 in. (151.8 × 106.7 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Collection of Daryl and Steven Roth
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Richard Gibbs
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1968
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 64 × 50 in. (162.6 × 127 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Private Collection, Minneapolis, MN
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Elenka
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1936
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 24 × 20 in. (61 × 50.8 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Gift of Richard Neel and Hartley S. Neel, 1987
Accession Number: 1987.376
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Last Sickness
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1953
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 30 × 22 in. (76.2 × 55.9 cm)
Framed: 31 7/8 in. × 23 3/4 in. × 2 1/4 in. (81 × 60.3 × 5.7 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Philadelphia Museum of Art: 125th Anniversary Acquisition, Gift of Hartley S. Neel and Richard Neel, 2003
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Andy Warhol
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1970
Medium: Oil and acrylic on linen
Dimensions: 60 × 40 in. (152.4 × 101.6 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, Gift of Timothy Collins
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Nancy and Olivia
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1967
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 39 × 36 in. (99.1 × 91.4 cm)
Framed: 41 3/4 × 38 3/4 in. (106 × 98.4 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Collection of Diane and David Goldsmith
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: The Spanish Family
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1943
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 34 × 28 in. (86.4 × 71.1 cm)
36 7/8 × 30 7/8 × 2 in. (93.7 × 78.4 × 5.1 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Estate of Alice Neel
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Mother and Child
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: c. 1962
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 40 1/8 × 27 1/4 in. (101.9 × 69.2 cm)
Framed: 43 1/16 in. × 30 1/8 in. × 2 3/4 in. (109.4 × 76.5 × 7 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Private collection
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Thanksgiving
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1965
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 30 × 34 in. (76.2 × 86.4 cm) incorrect)
Framed: 38 3/4 × 27 in. (98.4 × 68.6 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: The Brand Family Collection
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: A Spanish Boy
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1955
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 20 1/2 × 27 × 7/8 in. (52.1 × 68.6 × 2.2 cm)
Framed: 22 in. × 29 in. × 2 1/2 in. (55.9 × 73.7 × 6.4 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Museum of the City of New York, Gift of Thelma Hall and Lisa Dawn Simmons, 1980
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Self-Portrait
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1980
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 53 1/4 × 39 3/4 × 1 in. (135.3 × 101 × 2.5 cm)
Framed: 57 × 43 × 2 in. (144.8 × 109.2 × 5.1 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Pregnant Woman
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1971
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 40 × 60 in. (101.6 × 152.4 cm)
Framed: 43 1/8 in. × 63 1/4 in. × 2 1/4 in. (109.5 × 160.7 × 5.7 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Private collection, Singapore
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Black Draftee (James Hunter)
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1965
Geography: Country of Origin USA
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 60 × 40 in. (152.4 × 101.6 cm)
Framed: 69 3/8 × 49 1/2 × 3 9/16 in. (176.2 × 125.7 × 9 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: COMMA Foundation, Belgium
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Ginny in Striped Shirt
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1969
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 59 3/4 × 40 in. (151.8 × 101.6 cm)
Framed: 63 3/8 in. × 43 5/8 in. × 2 in. (161 × 110.8 × 5.1 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Collection of Ryan Murphy and David Miller
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Light
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1980
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 50 × 36 in. (127 × 91.4 cm)
Framed: 55 3/8 × 39 3/8 in. (140.7 × 100 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Collection of Barbara and Theodore Alfond
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Elizabeth in a Red Hat
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1984
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 48 × 36 in. (121.9 × 91.4 cm)
Framed: 49 3/8 × 35 3/8 in. (125.4 × 89.9 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Estate of Alice Neel
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Ginny
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1984
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 44 × 30 1/8 × 13/16 in. (111.8 × 76.5 × 2 cm)
Framed: 46 3/4 in. × 32 7/8 in. × 1 7/8 in. (118.7 × 83.5 × 4.7 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Private collection
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Pregnant Julie and Algis
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1967
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 42 × 64 in. (106.7 × 162.6 cm)
Framed: 45 3/8 in. × 66 3/4 in. × 2 1/8 in. (115.3 × 169.5 × 5.4 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Estate of Alice Neel
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Title: Cut Glass with Fruit
Artist: Alice Neel (American, Merion Square, Pennsylvania 1900–1984 New York)
Date: 1952
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 21 × 31 in. (53.3 × 78.7 cm)
Framed: 28 1/2 in. × 38 5/8 in. × 1 3/8 in. (72.4 × 98.1 × 3.5 cm)
NB: needs reframing; new frame dims closer to 23 3/4 x 33 3/4 inches
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Estate of Alice Neel
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel
Alice Neel with granddaughter Olivia in her home/studio at 300 West 107th Street, January 5, 1979
Artist: Alfred Eisenstaedt
Medium: Photograph
Credit Line: The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images
Rights and Reproduction: © The Estate of Alice Neel. Courtesy The Estate of Alice Neel and David Zwirner
Images at/of The MET by Beth Horta for Sweet Sabelle.