Edith Neff, Self-Portrait

In this self-portrait, Neff captures the intimacy of a familiar space. She is seated in her studio, wearing underwear and flip-flops. She stares outward, brush in hand, with a purposeful expression. Her implicating gaze is a characteristic feature of her work, and here it positions the viewer as the subject of the artist’s attention.

In 1971, Neff became an adjunct associate faculty member in the painting department at the Philadelphia College of Art, where she taught until 1986.