Black Bottles

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.