Alice Neel: Hot Off the Griddle

Born on 28 January 1900, Alice Neel liked to say that she was just four weeks younger than the century. After studying in Philadelphia, she discovered that she had just what it took to make a good artist: 'hypersensitivity and the will of the devil'. These two forces can be felt in the vivid portraits that now define her 60-year career: each radiates with her impression of the humanity and dignity of her subject.

Working predominantly in New York, Neel painted figuratively during a period in which it was deeply unfashionable to do so. She chose to portray individuals who were not typically the subjects of painting - pregnant women, labour leaders, Black and Puerto Rican children, Greenwich Village eccentrics, civil rights activists, queer performers - retaliating against exclusionary histories. She was crowned the 'court painter of the underground', and persisted with her wonky, expressionistic style, even though it meant that for most of her life she lacked material comfort, let alone critical recognition.

This book, which accompanies the largest exhibition to date of Alice Neel in the UK, offers an intimate and thoughtful exploration of Neel's work, highlighting her understanding of the fundamentally political nature of how we look at others, and what it means to feel seen. Edited by Eleanor Nairne, Barbican Art Gallery, London, this book features a moving essay by Hilton Als, a poetic response by Daisy Lafarge, alongside a chronology and 130 gorgeous color reproductions of Neel's paintings.