Alice Neel (1900-1984)
Property from a Private American Collection 
Alice Neel (1900-1984)

José with Guitar

Details
Alice Neel (1900-1984)
José with Guitar
signed 'Neel" (lower left)
graphite and colored pencil on paper
11¾ x 8 7/8 in. (29.8 x 22.5 cm.)
Drawn in 1936.
Provenance
Estate of the Artist
Robert Miller Gallery, New York
Anon. sale; Christie's, New York, 12 May 2005, lot 201
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Lot Essay

Neel drew this portrait of her then husband, José, playing his guitar during the time that they lived in Harlem. Few of Neel's early drawings have survived or been documented. This portrait of José is a masterful drawing, heavily worked, and full of the emotional connection to her subject that distinguishes Neel's best work.

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