Alice Neel - freedom - Bellatrix Hubert

One of the foremost American figurative painters of the twentieth
century, it is not surprising that Alice Neel was a humanist-she
was fascinated by people.


Known for her daringly honest portraits, Neel loved to paint people
in all their complexities-to penetrate and reveal their fears and
anxieties, how they display defiance and survival. She also loved to paint
the unadorned human figure. Her nudes, in particular, explore the body
with frankness while celebrating the individuality of each of her subjects,
and they exemplify the freedom and courage with which she approached
her work and her life.

Through her paintings and works on paper, Neel was able to free herself
from the expected inhibitions and crippling taboos that were placed
on women and focus on the beauty and nuanced complexity of flesh
and the human body. In their mastery of form, color, and implied social
commentary, her nudes are as relevant today as when they were painted.

Alice Neel
documents the solo exhibition of the artist's work at David
Zwirner in New York in 2019. Including works that span the 1920s
to the 1980s, this presentation focuses primarily on the nude figure- whether male or female, adult or child-and demonstrates how Neel
rebelled against and challenged the traditional perceptions of sexuality,
motherhood, and beauty in our society. The catalogue includes newly
commissioned scholarship by Helen Molesworth and a foreword by
Ginny Neel of The Estate of Alice Neel.