As one of the 20th century’s most influential American artists, Alice Neel was a champion of social justice, which served as a lifelong inspiration for her portraits and figurative paintings.
Born in 1900 in Merion Square, Pennsylvania, Neel grew up in a strict middle-class family that did not support her artistic ambitions. Undaunted, Neel enrolled in the fine arts program at the Philadelphia School of Design for Women — now the Moore College of Art and Design — where she trained with Ashcan School artist George Harding in 1921.
In 1924, Neel furthered her art studies for a period at the Chester Springs summer school of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. There, she met her husband, Cuban artist Carlos Enríquez. After they married, they moved to Cuba and had a daughter. When they returned to the United States to live in New York, in 1927, their infant daughter died from diphtheria. By 1930, the couple’s marriage had disintegrated and Neel suffered another blow when Enríquez took their second child to live with him in Cuba. She experienced a nervous breakdown, and her trauma led to an enduring theme of loss, motherhood and anxiety in her paintings.
Living in Greenwich Village and then uptown, Neel endured additional difficult relationships but immersed herself in her work. She secured a job with the Works Progress Administration, painting urban scenes and portraits of left-wing writers, artists and trade unionists. In 1938, she moved to Spanish Harlem, where she painted stark and honest still-lifes and portraits of friends, family and neighbors. Neel continued to make representational work even as the art world in New York City became enveloped in trendy Abstract Expressionism.
In 1951, Neel had her first solo exhibition showing 17 paintings at the A.C.A. Gallery. That same year, New York’s New Playwrights Theater exhibited 24 of her works, where she was hailed “a pioneer of socialist-realism in American painting.”
In 1960, Neel moved to the Upper West Side and made portraits of public figures such as poet Frank O’Hara, Andy Warhol and artist Robert Smithson.
Neel exhibited widely throughout the U.S. during the 1970s and was championed by art critics and feminist activists. She was honored with a retrospective exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in Manhattan. In 1980, her Self-Portrait was shown for the first time in the collection “Selected 20th Century American Self-Portraits” at the Harold Reed Gallery.
Neel’s legacy as a humanist lives on long after her death in 1984. In 2021, the Metropolitan Museum of Art hosted a retrospective exhibition of her work.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of original Alice Neel paintings and prints.
The Family, Alice Neel
By Alice Neel
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Alice Neel (1900-1984) Title: The Family Year: 1982 Medium: Lithograph on Arches paper Edition: 170/175, plus proofs Size: 31.25 x 27 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription:...
Lithograph
Jar from Samarkland, Alice Neel
By Alice Neel
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Alice Neel (1900-1984) Title: Jar from Samarkland Year: 1982 Medium: Lithograph on Arches paper Edition: 77/175, plus proofs Size: 38 x 28 inches Condition: Excellent Inscrip...
Lithograph
Man with Pipe (John Rothschild), Alice Neel
By Alice Neel
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Alice Neel (1900-1984) Title: Man with Pipe (John Rothschild) Year: 1979 Medium: Lithograph on Arches paper Edition: XXXVIII/L; 150 Arabic Numerals, 50 Roman Numerals, plus p...
Lithograph
Man in a Harness, 1980 Limited Edition Print by Alice Neel signed and dated
By Alice Neel
Located in Hong Kong, HK
Alice Neel (1901-1984)
Man in a Harness, 1980
Lithograph in colors on Arches paper, signed in pencil, dated and numbered 54/100, with the blindstamp of the publisher, El...
Paper, Lithograph
$3,912Sale Price|20% Off
PORTRAIT OF JOHN ROTHSCHILD Signed Lithograph 1980, Expressionist Style
By Alice Neel
Located in Union City, NJ
PORTRAIT OF JOHN ROTHSCHILD is an original hand drawn, limited edition lithograph by the American woman painter Alice Neel printed on archival Arches paper, 100% acid free, using tra...
Lithograph
Table of Summer Fruits - Original Lithograph
Located in Paris, IDF
Moise KISLING Table of Summer Fruits Original Lithograph On Arches vellum 28 x 38 cm (c. 11 x 15 inches) Very good condition
Lithograph
$29,109
H 11.03 in W 14.18 in D 1.19 in
Vitraux pour Jérusalem - Illustrated Book by M. Chagall, 1962
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
"Vitraux pour Jerusalem" is one of the most important books illustrated by Marc Chagall and considered as one of his editorial masterpieces. Th...
Paper, Lithograph
$250
H 23.5 in W 11.25 in
Cubist Room Lithograph Print, Surrealist, Hand Signed AP Edition
By Ferjo, Fernando de Jesus Oliveira
Located in Aventura, FL
Lithograph in colors on paper. Hand signed and numbered by the artist. AP edition. Sheet size 23.5 x 11.25 inches. Image size approx 19.5 x 9.75 inches. Artwork is in excellen...
Paper, Lithograph
$1,050
H 19 in W 26 in
Or Dur Or Aison, Lithograph, Contemporary, Hand Signed, Edition of 175, 1976
By Roberto Matta
Located in Aventura, FL
Hand signed and numbered by the artist. Artwork is in excellent condition. Additional images are available upon request. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Edition of 175. All...
Lithograph, Paper
$2,450
H 21 in W 30 in
Red Vase, Hand Signed Lithograph, Pop Art, HC Edition, 1982, 21 x 30 inches
By Peter Max
Located in Aventura, FL
Hand signed and numbered by the artist. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity included. Published by AMX Art Ltd., NY and printed by A Nussbaum, NY. HC edit...
Paper, Lithograph
$800
H 25 in W 32 in
Goldfish, Cubist Still Life Signed Lithograph by Andre Minaux
By Andre Minaux
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Andre Minaux, French (1923 - 1986) Title: Goldfish Year: circa 1979 Medium: Lithograph on Arches Paper, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 120 Image Size: 21 x 26 inches ...
Lithograph
$291
H 11.82 in W 7.88 in D 0.04 in
Gothic Decorative Motifs - Vintage Chromolithograph - Early 20th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Gothic Decorative Motifs is a vintage chromolithograph realized by an anonymous artist in the early 20th Century. Good conditions. The artwork represents Gothic Decorative motifs i...
Paper, Lithograph
$475
H 7.125 in W 8.375 in
GREETINGS FROM THE HOUSE OF WEYHE. Many Known Artists Inside the Gallery
Located in Santa Monica, CA
MAYBEL DWIGHT (1875 - 1955) GREETINGS FROM THE HOUSE OF WEYHE, 1928 Lithograph, signed in the plate. Image 7 1/8 x 8 3/8” + printed title. Sheet 8 ¼ x 9” as issued. Xmas card iss...
Lithograph
$419Sale Price|40% Off
H 26.38 in W 20.08 in
Ballerine au Chignon, 1986 Lithograph on Japanese Paper, Signed
By Jean Jansem
Located in Les Acacias GE, GE
Jean Jansem (1920-2013) – Ballerine au chignon, 1986 Lithographie sur papier Japon Signée en bas à droite Justifiée 67 x 51 cm / 76 x 53,5 cm Bibliographie: CR Jansem, 1993, n°56 ...
Lithograph
"Bread" lithograph by Käthe Kollwitz
By Käthe Kollwitz
Located in Soquel, CA
Bold lithograph titled "Bread" by Kathe Kollwitz (German, 1867-1945). This piece is one of the Lithographic reproductions of the original lithographs, plate 2 from a series of 10, pr...
Paper, Ink, Lithograph
$395
H 17 in W 20.25 in
SPANISH STILL LIFE WITH GARLIC Signed Lithograph 1974, Contemporary Abstract
Located in Union City, NJ
SPANISH STILL LIFE WITH GARLIC by the Spanish artist Carlos Pradal, is an original hand drawn, stone lithograph printed by hand in Paris France using traditional hand lithography techniques on buff color archival printmaking paper, 100% acid free. SPANISH STILL LIFE WITH GARLIC presents a modern still life portrait depicting abstract vegetables - three round onions with a head of garlic positioned toward the center. A broad sweeping charcoal black wash dominates the background creating a dramatic staging for the red and orange vegetable shapes; the off white color of the paper forms the garlic bulb creating contrast for this expressive, energetic Spanish still life composition. Print size - 17 x 20.25 inches, unframed, very good condition, pencil signed by Pradal, inscribed E.A.(Epreuve Artiste) with personal dedication to the master printer Image size - 13 x 16.25 inches Year - c. 1974 About the artist: Carlos Pradal(1923-1988) Spanish ceramist, painter and illustrator was the son of Republican deputy Gabriel Pradal from Almeria, Andalusia. In 1939, his family was forced into exile and settled in France, in Toulouse. In 1956 he obtained a Spanish license and became an auxiliary teacher. He practiced drawing and painting at the same time, following the lessons of Raoul Bergougnan. In 1972, he moved to Paris, where he became a friend of the painters Peinado and Orlando Pelayo. When Franco died...
Lithograph
$523Sale Price|40% Off
H 22.05 in W 29.93 in
Joelle au coussin rose, 1995, original lithograph by Jean Jansem handsigned
By Jean Jansem
Located in Les Acacias GE, GE
Jean Jansem (1920-2013) Joelle au coussin rose, 1995 Lithographie sur papier Arches Signée et justifiée 53 x 68 cm / 56 x 76 cm Imprimeur: Arts-Litho, Paris Editeur: Jansem, Paris ...
Lithograph
The Youth (John Cheim), Alice Neel
By Alice Neel
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Alice Neel (1900-1984) Title: The Youth (John Cheim) Year: 1982 Medium: Lithograph on Arches paper Edition: 20/25 A.P. Size: 38 x 24 inches Condition: Good Inscription: Signe...
Lithograph
Sold
H 27.56 in W 21.26 in
Portrait of John Rothschild (Man with pipe), Limited Edition by Alice Neel
By Alice Neel
Located in Hong Kong, HK
Portrait of John Rothschild (Man with pipe) from the American Portfolio. Lithograph on paper. Signed in pencil lower right and numbered 61/150, Printed by Joseph Kleinman Fine A...
Lithograph
The Youth (John Cheim), Alice Neel
By Alice Neel
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Alice Neel (1900-1984) Title: The Youth (John Cheim) Year: 1982 Medium: Lithograph on Arches paper Edition: 20/25 A.P. Size: 38 x 24 inches Condition: Good Inscription: Signe...
Lithograph
The Youth (John Cheim), Alice Neel
By Alice Neel
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Alice Neel (1900-1984) Title: The Youth (John Cheim) Year: 1982 Medium: Lithograph on Arches paper Edition: 20/25 A.P. Size: 38 x 24 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: ...
Lithograph
The Family, Alice Neel
By Alice Neel
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Alice Neel (1900-1984) Title: The Family Year: 1982 Medium: Lithograph on Arches paper Edition: 57/175, plus proofs Size: 31.25 x 27 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: ...
Lithograph
Still Life
By Alice Neel
Located in Milford, NH
A fine colorful limited edition printer’s proof lithograph by well known American artist Alice Neel (1900-1984). Neel was born in Marion Square, Pennsylvania, studied at the Philadel...
Paper, Lithograph
Sold
H 28.5 in W 21.5 in
PORTRAIT OF JOHN ROTHSCHILD Signed Lithograph, Expressionist Portrait Man w Pipe
By Alice Neel
Located in Union City, NJ
PORTRAIT OF JOHN ROTHSCHILD is an original hand drawn, limited edition lithograph by the American woman painter Alice Neel printed on archival Arches paper, 100% acid free, using tra...
Lithograph
Man in a Harness
By Alice Neel
Located in New York, NY
A very good impression of this color lithograph on Arches. Signed, dated and numbered 88/100 in pencil by Neel. Published by Eleanor Ettinger, Inc., New York, with the blind stamp lo...
Color, Lithograph
Light, Limited Edition Lithograph, Alice Neel - LARGE
By Alice Neel
Located in Southampton, NY
ALICE NEEL (1900-1984) An unshakable original, witnessed a parade of avant-garde movements from Abstract Expressionism to Conceptual Art, and refused to follow any of them. Instead, ...
Lithograph
Mother and Child, Alice Neel
By Alice Neel
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Alice Neel (1900-1984) Title: Mother and Child Year: 1982 Medium: Lithograph on Arches paper Edition: 175, plus proofs Size: 31.25 x 27 inches Condition: Excellent Inscriptio...
Lithograph
Light, Limited Edition Lithograph, Alice Neel - LARGE
By Alice Neel
Located in Southampton, NY
ALICE NEEL (1900-1984) An unshakable original, witnessed a parade of avant-garde movements from Abstract Expressionism to Conceptual Art, and refused to follow any of them. Instead, ...
Lithograph
Light, Alice Neel
By Alice Neel
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Alice Neel (1900-1984) Title: Light Year: 1982 Medium: Lithograph on Arches paper Edition: 175, plus proofs Size: 38 x 27 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Signed and ...
Lithograph