Michelle Moskiyenko

Alice Imitates Life

This painting by Alice Neel is an authentic depiction of human beings in real life. In our bustling society, people feel pressured to feel/be perfect and obtain qualities in which we falsely think would result in a perfect existence. Love, wealth, social status, youth, and achieving the perfect body are some of the most seeked-out attributes in which Western society idealizes in order to feel truly happy and accomplished in life. In this piece, Neel strips her figures down to their bare bodies, so that there is nothing pulling focus away from their raw presentation. They are freed from materialistic and superficial qualities most often found in classical portraiture such as extravagant fabrics, jewelry, sceneries, and symbols that would indicate social status, and identity to the world. In addition to the lack of supplementary details, this is not a sensual portrait despite the couple’s nudity. They are not presented to us in the classical Venus or hero poses found in classical paintings, nor do they need to be. Neel wanted to express the genuinity of human nature by unveiling all the complexities in people that are often filtered out, covered up with fabric, or hidden through objectification with poses. Alice Neel’s Cindy Nemser and Chuck represents the truth about people free from idealizations that often hide imperfections, and what Neel wants to point out to us is that imperfections are not to be diminished, but rather embraced. This observation and interpretation is important to discuss considering the ways in which Western art has shaped Western culture even in today’s society, so to be able to recognize oneself in art evokes a sense of novelty and relatability that cannot be found in traditional classical portraiture that has been glorified for centuries.

Titian’s Venus is the epitome of the Western canon of beauty that’s had a major influence in art history. Venus is an archetype of perfection in terms of physical form and significance of character that represents qualities that are desired from women in Western society, such as fertility, submissiveness, and youth. Representing Venus, the goddess of love, beauty, fertility, and sex in Roman Mythology, this is an archetype often found in classical works, and represents the idealized form of the female body. In Cindy Nemser and Chuck, no Venus is present, because Neel depicts her figures exactly as they were. Venus of Urbino is a good example of what Neel was opposed to as an artist, because in Cindy Nemser and Chuck there are no extra details (besides an unfinished couch) that would represent their character, as opposed to this painting, which has symbols of flowers, representing fertility, and the dog to represent loyalty. 

Rubens is depicting himself and his wife. This painting makes a statement to the viewer about their social status and wealth based on the extravagant clothing, and jewelry. Cindy Nemser and Chuck present no indication of their social status or wealth, they show themselves as people first rather than what they’ve accomplished. Both portraits illustrate love but in different ways. Rubens shows a tender display of affection, but Cindy Nemser and Chuck are more vulnerable with each other and the viewer, and are present with one another. Rubens and his wife are present as well, and viewers can feel their affection for one another, but when individuals are stripped down to nothing but their bare bodies we see them as people rather than their social identity, which is why Neel’s piece stands out more as an authentic display of humanity, and that regardless of all the superficial and materialistic details we see people first.