Paper

Student Artwork Guide

Untitled (784)

Alice Neel

Name Class Date
Alice Neel, Untitled (784). 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
Movement
Social Realism Painting hardship and working life deliberately, to make viewers notice injustice.

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 Oct. 2, 2026

Untitled (784) — Alice Neel Part 1 · The artwork

In context

Untitled (784) — Alice Neel

When might this have been 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.

Shaded: the lifetime of Alice Neel (1900–1984) 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

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

  • Kate Millett, 1970 topimpressionists.com/en/art/alice-neel-kate-millett-AQZTED-en/
  • Night, 1959 topimpressionists.com/en/art/alice-neel-night-D2XG3W-en/
  • Untitled (747) topimpressionists.com/en/art/alice-neel-untitled-747-A25DVQ-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-untitled-784-A25DVP-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Espresso #4c4442

    Catalogued palette

    • #4C4442
    • #242D2F
    • #D3C3BC
    • #8D6553

    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
    Espresso
    Intensity
    Monochromatic How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Gentle How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Discordant Palette 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 8.7%
    2. 2 Benny and Mary Ellen Andrews, 1972 8.7%
    3. 3 Pregnant Maria, 1964 8.7%
    4. 4 French Girl, 1920 4.3%
    5. 5 Untitled (698) 4.3%
    6. 6 Virgil Thomson, 1971 4.3%
    7. 7 Frank O'Hara, 1960 4.3%
    8. 8 Black Draftee (James Hunter), 1965 4.3%
    9. 9 Loneliness, 1970 4.3%
    10. 10 Untitled (747) 4.3%
    11. 11 Untitled (572) 4.3%
    12. 12 Untitled (306) 4.3%
    13. 13 Untitled (990) 4.3%
    14. 14 Untitled (775) 4.3%
    15. 15 Untitled (268) 4.3%
    16. 16 Untitled (191) 4.3%
    17. 17 Untitled (712) 4.3%
    18. 18 Harlem River at Sedgwick Avenue, 1928 4.3%
    19. 19 Untitled (843) 4.3%
    20. — Untitled (784) this painting 0.0%

    Together these works take 94.9% 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 Oct. 2, 2026

    Untitled (784) — 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 Untitled (784)

    topimpressionists.com/en/art/download/alice-neel-untitled-784-A25DVP-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Neel, Alice. Untitled (784). n.d., https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/alice-neel-untitled-784-A25DVP-en/
    APA
    Neel, Alice (n.d.). Untitled (784) [Painting]. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/alice-neel-untitled-784-A25DVP-en/
    Chicago
    Alice Neel. Untitled (784). n.d. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/alice-neel-untitled-784-A25DVP-en/
    Harvard
    Neel, Alice (n.d.) Untitled (784). Available at: https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/alice-neel-untitled-784-A25DVP-en/

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Oct. 2, 2026

    Untitled (784) — Alice Neel Part 3 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    Untitled (784) — 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. How many faces can you find? ____ (our catalogue counts 9 — do you agree?)
    4. Our catalogue files this work under: protest art, nazi resistance, social justice. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    5. Look back at Kate Millett (1970), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.

    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 Oct. 2, 2026

    Untitled (784) — Alice Neel Part 4 · Look closely

    Questions & Answers

    Are there works similar to "Untitled (784)"?

    The Similars page of "Untitled (784)" by Alice Neel presents related artworks.

    Is "Untitled (784)" available as a fine art print?

    "Untitled (784)" is available as a fine art print on cotton canvas or archival canvas paper. Orders are placed on its Fine Art Print page, in the size of your choice.

    Where do the visitors of "Untitled (784)" by Alice Neel come from?

    Statistics about "Untitled (784)" by Alice Neel are on the artwork's Stats page: monthly visits of the artwork, visits of the artist's works, and country and language breakdowns of recent visitors.