The Sheer Love and Joy of Alice Neel’s Pet Portraits

Elaine Velie at Hyperallergic:

For six decades, Alice Neel rendered intimate depictions of strangers, lovers, and friends, capturing fleeting moments, moods, and personalities in her beloved expressionistic paintings. Now through October, visitors to the Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA) can become acquainted with a lesser-known subject of Neel’s paintings: pets. Amidst a total of 40 works, Alice Neel: Feels Like Home showcases five paintings of cats, dogs, and one parrot, all of which Neel portrayed with her characteristic familiarity and attention to individuality.

“It’s something that really struck me when I started doing more research and looking at the work,” OCMA’s Chief Curator Courtenay Finn told Hyperallergic. “They are characters and personalities in their own right along with the people, which I think is kind of incredible.”

more here.