The visually striking and emotionally intense works of Alice Neel earned her a reputation as one of the 20th century’s most significant painters. A groundbreaking figure for women in art, Neel painted portraits at a time when the role was frequently reserved for male artists. She painted friends and
family (including her son Hartley, who graced the cover of YUP’s Spring/Summer 2010 catalog), as well as the celebrated artists and writers of her day, including Andy Warhol, Frank O’Hara, and Meyer Shapiro.

A new exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston celebrates Neel’s psychologically acute portraiture. The accompanying catalogue is distributed by Yale University Press. The MFAH has posted photos of the special media preview of “Alice Neel: Painted Truths” that occurred earlier this month and was attended by members of Neel’s family, as well as none other than the Iceman himself, Val Kilmer. (See if you can spot him!) The exhibit is now open to the public through June 13.

For a further look into Neel’s life and career, check out the trailer for the documentary produced by her grandson Andrew Neel. If you’re in the area, you can catch the film this afternoon at 5 at the MFAH.