Alice Neel: I Am the Century

This richly illustrated volume offers a comprehensive survey of Alice Neel’s work, positioning her as one of the most incisive portraitists of the twentieth century. Known as a “painter of people,” Neel developed a distinctive approach that combined psychological intensity with a direct, unidealized realism, capturing her sitters with both empathy and sharp observational clarity.

Bringing together approximately sixty works alongside archival materials, the catalog traces the full arc of Neel’s artistic and personal journey. Her portraits move fluidly between the private and the political, reflecting broader social realities through individual lives. Children, artists, activists, and everyday figures appear not as types, but as complex presences shaped by their time.

The publication situates Neel’s practice within wider artistic and cultural contexts, highlighting her ability to merge elements of realism and surrealism while maintaining a deeply human focus. Her work addresses themes of identity, intimacy, sexuality, and community—often anticipating conversations that would only gain prominence decades later.

With contributions from leading scholars and artists, and enriched by a narrative structure that mirrors the rhythm of Neel’s life and career, this catalog stands as both a critical study and a compelling reflection on what it means to portray a century through its people.