Alice Neel was born with the century in 1900. When she was growing up, her mother discouraged her desire to be an artist because she was a girl. Neel ignored her mother, and went on to become a painter of portraits. Like Munch, she brought forth the psyche of her sitters. Despite creating expressive work with vivid colors and strong brushwork, when Neel died, in 1984, she was mostly unknown. Only in recent years has she been recognized as a pillar of American art. In this display, organized in collaboration with the Barbican Centre and the Centre Pompidou, 60 works make up her first major show in Norway. —Elena Clavarino