Paper

Student Artwork Guide

Night

Alice Neel, 1959

Name Class Date
Alice Neel, Night (1959). Reproduced for reference; rights reserved by the rights holder. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Alice Neel topimpressionists.com/en/artists/alice-neel/
Artist’s dates
1900 – 1984
Painted
1959
Original size
82 x 46 cm
Movement
Expressionism Colour and shape deliberately distorted so the picture shows an emotion rather than a likeness.

Copyright This work is still under copyright. Alice Neel died in 1984; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it remains in force until 2054. The image is shown here for classroom reference; rights remain with the rights holder.

Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Sept. 24, 2026

Night — Alice Neel Part 1 · The artwork

In context

Night — Alice Neel

How big is it?

The original measures 82 × 46 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.

When was this painted?

  1. 1900
  2. 1910
  3. 1920
  4. 1930
  5. 1940
  6. 1950
  7. 1960
  8. 1970
  9. 1980

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 84 at death.

Painted when the artist was 59. The artist lived to 84. 16 of the 46 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.

Shaded: the lifetime of Alice Neel (1900–1984) ▲ this work, 1959 every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1949 Main working years: 1949–1972 Late works: from 1972

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

Compare with

  • Kate Millett, 1970 topimpressionists.com/en/art/alice-neel-kate-millett-AQZTED-en/
  • Untitled (747) topimpressionists.com/en/art/alice-neel-untitled-747-A25DVQ-en/
  • José, 1936 topimpressionists.com/en/art/alice-neel-jose-D35F9Y-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/alice-neel-night-D2XG3W-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Phthalo Green #191819

    Catalogued palette

    • #191819
    • #F9F9F8
    • #C1A233
    • #41403D

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Phthalo Green
    Intensity
    Monochromatic How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Statement How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Balanced Harmony How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Deep_shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Muted How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Alice Neel over the last twelve months — 4 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 80.0%
    2. 2 United States of America 10.0%
    3. 3 United Kingdom 5.0%
    4. 4 Italy 5.0%

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 20 most looked-at works by Alice Neel

    1. 1 Kate Millett, 1970 9.1%
    2. 2 Pregnant Maria, 1964 9.1%
    3. 3 French Girl, 1920 4.5%
    4. 4 Benny and Mary Ellen Andrews, 1972 4.5%
    5. 5 Untitled (698) 4.5%
    6. 6 Virgil Thomson, 1971 4.5%
    7. 7 Frank O'Hara, 1960 4.5%
    8. 8 Black Draftee (James Hunter), 1965 4.5%
    9. 9 Loneliness, 1970 4.5%
    10. 10 Untitled (747) 4.5%
    11. 11 Untitled (572) 4.5%
    12. 12 Untitled (306) 4.5%
    13. 13 Untitled (990) 4.5%
    14. 14 Untitled (775) 4.5%
    15. 15 Untitled (268) 4.5%
    16. 16 Untitled (191) 4.5%
    17. 17 Untitled (712) 4.5%
    18. 18 Harlem River at Sedgwick Avenue, 1928 4.5%
    19. 19 Untitled (843) 4.5%
    20. — Night, 1959 this painting 0.0%

    Together these works take 94.7% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 118 works by this artist, of which 20 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Sept. 24, 2026

    Night — Alice Neel Part 2 · In context

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Alice Neel

    Born in Merion Square, United States of America

    Early Life and Education

    Born: January 28, 1900, in Merion Square, Pennsylvania

    Parents: George Washington Neel (accountant) and Alice Concross Hartley Neel

    Family moved to Colwyn, Pennsylvania in early 1900s.

    Fourth of five children; experienced the loss of her older brother, Hartley, at a young age.

    Raised in a middle-class family with limited expectations for women.

    Graduated high school and took a clerical position to support her family.

    Studied art classes in Philadelphia by night.

    Enrolled in the fine art program at the Philadelphia School of Design for Women (now Moore College of Art & Design) in 1921.

    Rejected Impressionism, embracing the Ashcan School of realism, influenced by Robert Henri.

    Won honorable mention twice for painting and received the Kern Dodge Prize in 1925.

    Graduated from Philadelphia School of Design for Women in 1925.

    Marriage, Havana, and Early Career

    Married Cuban painter Carlos Enríquez on June 1, 1925.

    Moved to Havana, Cuba, where she was embraced by the Cuban avant-garde movement.

    Developed her political consciousness and commitment to equality in Havana.

    Exhibited with her husband in the XII Salon des Bellas Artes in 1927 alongside prominent Cuban artists like Eduardo Abela and Marcelo Pogolotti.

    Had her first solo exhibition in Havana (date unconfirmed).

    Daughter, Santillana, was born in 1926 but tragically died of diphtheria the following year.

    Return to the United States and Personal Struggles

    Returned to the United States with her second daughter, Isabella Lillian (Isabetta), in 1927.

    Carlos Enríquez left for Cuba, taking Isabetta with him.

    Suffered a nervous breakdown and attempted suicide following these losses.

    Hospitalized and placed in the suicide ward of Philadelphia General Hospital.

    Returned to her parents' home after being deemed stable in 1931.

    Later relationships were tumultuous, resulting in two more children.

    Artistic Style and Major Themes

    Style: Expressionistic use of line and color; psychological acuity; emotional intensity.

    Subject Matter: Primarily portraits of friends, family, lovers, poets, artists, and strangers.

    Themes: Motherhood, loss, anxiety, the human condition, social commentary.

    Notable works include "Well Baby Clinic," a bleak portrayal of mothers and babies in a maternity clinic.

    Her portraits often challenged traditional depictions of women, employing a female gaze to illustrate their awareness of objectification.

    Recognition and Legacy

    Initially overlooked during the rise of Abstract Expressionism.

    Gained significant critical recognition in the 1970s.

    Received a National Women’s Caucus for Art award from President Jimmy Carter in 1979.

    Called "one of the greatest portrait artists of the 20th century" by Barry Walker, curator at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

    A retrospective exhibition of her work was organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in 2010.

    Her work continues to be celebrated for its honesty, psychological depth, and powerful depictions of human experience.

    Died: October 13, 1984.

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for Night

    topimpressionists.com/en/art/download/alice-neel-night-D2XG3W-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Neel, Alice. Night. 1959, https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/alice-neel-night-D2XG3W-en/
    APA
    Neel, Alice (1959). Night [Painting]. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/alice-neel-night-D2XG3W-en/
    Chicago
    Alice Neel. Night. 1959. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/alice-neel-night-D2XG3W-en/
    Harvard
    Neel, Alice (1959) Night. Available at: https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/alice-neel-night-D2XG3W-en/

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Sept. 24, 2026

    Night — Alice Neel Part 3 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    Night — Alice Neel

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Our catalogue files this work under: nighttime, darkness, light. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    4. Look back at Kate Millett (1970), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. Expressionism: Colour and shape deliberately distorted so the picture shows an emotion rather than a likeness. Where can you see that in this work?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Sept. 24, 2026

    Night — Alice Neel Part 4 · Look closely

    Questions & Answers

    How do the colors of "Night" relate to each other?

    The colors of "Night" by Alice Neel show a balanced harmony harmony. Harmony describes how the colors relate to each other.

    Is Alice Neel, creator of "Night", known under other names?

    Alice Neel appears under the alternate names Alice Hartley Neel.

    Can I see an X-ray view of "Night" by Alice Neel?

    The X-Ray page of "Night" by Alice Neel is an interactive viewer that lets you slide through eleven optical layers of the artwork's image, including an X-ray style view.