Alice Neel

One of the foremost American figurative painters of the 20th 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 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. Alice Neel documents the solo exhibition of the artist's work at David Zwirner in New York in 2019.