Portrait of Olivia

Although Alice Neel frequently made portraits of her family and friends, she was also known to portray complete strangers. It is uncertain whether Neel knew Olivia personally. Typical of Neel’s other printed and painted portraits, Olivia appears slightly askew, with her head tilted down toward the left. Her hands are disproportionately large and her fingers are elongated.

Neel often drew from life events for her subject matter. When her first daughter died of diphtheria before the age of one, the artist turned her attention to themes of motherhood and loss. Two years after her second daughter was born, Neel’s husband left for his native Cuba and took their child with him. The choice to represent a young girl in this print may relate to the tragedies she suffered as a mother.