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Kate Millett

National Portrait Gallery

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Object Details

Artist
Alice Neel, 28 Jan 1900 - 13 Oct 1984
Sitter
Kate Millett, 14 Sep 1934 - 6 Sep 2017
Exhibition Label
Born St. Paul, Minnesota
The emergence of the modern feminist movement in the 1960s initially seemed to be a sidelight to the massive demonstrations for civil rights and against the Vietnam War. Yet it became clear that the growing cry for equal opportunity for women could not be ignored.
In no small measure, the movement owed its quickening pulse to Kate Millett, whose 1970 book Sexual Politics served as something of a bible for feminism. When Time magazine sought a personification of feminist protest for its cover in August 1970, it, unsurprisingly, settled on Millett. Unfortunately, Millett herself was not pleased with the choice, feeling that no one person could presume to embody the aspirations of her cause. As a result, when Alice Neel asked her to pose, she refused. Instead, Neel used photographs to make this likeness.
Nacida en St. Paul, Minnesota
El surgimiento del movimiento feminista moderno en la década de 1960 había parecido inicialmente un simple apéndice de las manifestaciones masivas por los derechos civiles y contra la guerra de Vietnam. No obstante, estaba claro que no se podía ignorar el creciente reclamo de igualdad de oportunidades para las mujeres. En gran medida, el movimiento le debió su ímpetu a Kate Millett, cuyo libro Política sexual, publicado originalmente en inglés en 1970, se convirtió en una especie de biblia para el feminismo.
Cuando la revista Time quiso encontrar un símbolo de la protesta feminista para su portada de agosto de 1970, no fue sorpresa que escogiera a Millett. Lamentablemente, a Millett no le gustó la selección porque estimaba que la causa que defendía no podía ser representada por un solo individuo. Por tanto, cuando Alice Neel le pidió que posara para el retrato, Millett se negó. Neel utilizó fotografías para realizar esta obra.
Collection Description
In 1978, Time magazine donated approximately eight hundred works of original cover art to the National Portrait Gallery. The museum is dedicated to telling the stories of individuals who have shaped the United States, and the Time Collection—featuring prominent international figures and events—enriches our understanding of the United States in a global context.
En 1978, la revista Time donó a la National Portrait Gallery cerca de 800 obras de arte originales creadas para sus portadas. Nuestro museo se dedica a narrar la historia de figuras que han contribuido a forjar el desarrollo de Estados Unidos, y es así que la Colección Time, que incluye retratos de importantes personalidades internacionales, nos ayuda a comprender mejor a nuestra nación en un contexto global.
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Time magazine
1970
Object number
NPG.78.TC588
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Copyright
© Estate of Alice Neel
Type
Painting
Medium
Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions
Stretcher: 101 x 72.4cm (39 3/4 x 28 1/2")
Frame: 106.7 x 78.7 x 5.1cm (42 x 31 x 2")
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Nature & Environment\Plant\Leaves
Kate Millett: Female
Kate Millett: Literature\Writer
Kate Millett: Society and Social Change\Reformer\Feminist
Portrait
Record ID
npg_NPG.78.TC588
Metadata Usage (text)
Usage conditions apply
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm41e44aebc-8c4c-449b-85c9-9f8ca26f6554

Related Content

  • American Women Writers

  • Explore America: Minnesota

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