The ten paintings on show span more than 40 years, but, with only the minor adjustment of a brighter palette, show remarkable stylistic consistency. The earliest painting is of Neel's mother, an austere and old-fashioned portrait of 1930 in gloomy greys and browns (pictured). Yet Neel was also adept at capturing the irrepressible energy of her sitters, as shown in the wonderfully flamboyant 1976 portrait of women's rights champion Bella Abzug. Though never very fashionable during her lifetime, Neel's warmth and eye for idiosyncratic detail have an enduring appeal.
