Pregnancy paintings by Alice Neel

     Alice Neel was one of the great American painters of the twentieth century.  She painted people, landscapes and still life and she had her own distinctive style.  She said 'painting was more than a profession, it was more of an obsession, I had to paint'.  Neel completed paintings with all different types of subject matters, but the ones of the pregnant women were obviously the ones I wanted to focus on, and personally I think they are the best ones anyway!

     This image is called 'Pregnant Maria'. It was created with oil on canvas in 1964. This is the earliest painting I could find of a pregnant woman by Alice Neel.

     This image, also completed in oil on canvas is called 'Pregnant Julie and Algis', 1967. I like this image more than 'Pregnant Maria' because not only is there a male figure, but the image as a whole is brighter and there is more to look at as it is also 'busier'.

     One year later (1968), this image called 'Pregnant Betty Homitzky' was made, again by oil on canvas. I don't like this image as much as the one made in the previous year, it doesn't look very interesting or eye catching.  Also, the woman in the image doesn't look like she is as far into her pregnancy as the last two, therefore it takes away the point of the painting in the first place.

    Three years later, this oil on canvas piece arrived.  It was made in 1971 and it is named 'Pregnant Woman'. Even though this image only arrived not long after the last one, I think this has a more modern feel to it. The colour looks clearer and not as dull, the painting as a whole looks brighter. I do like that there is a male in this one too, however I think he looks slightly frightened or curious, seeing as he is only peering over the sofa at the woman.

     This is the last and latest oil on canvas painting of a pregnant woman by Alice Neel I could find and it is named 'Margaret Evans Pregnant'.

     I like that all of these paintings are still life ones, however, personally I think I am just not too keen on the style of her work. It is quite old fashioned and I prefer the contemporary work of people such as Tina Bolton. Although i do not like Neels style of painting, I do like how graphic she has made them. I am the kind of person that thinks a pregnant body looks beautiful with a large bump, however these images have made the women's body look out of proportion, and generally not nice. Maybe Alice Neel wanted to give the viewer this reaction? Maybe she wants to show the negative changes to the female body through the later stages of the pregnancy.