By the time Peggy had reclined on the blue pillow across from Alice, she was exhausted in every way possible: physically, emotionally, spiritually.

Peggy was Neel's neighbor, and a victim of domestic abuse, but her portrait captures something deeper than the woman's cuts and bruises. Peggy's posture, expression, and faraway look show us the frailty and resignation of a woman caught in a hopeless situation.

DNP student Natalie Drawdy

She no longer bothered trying to hide the cuts and bruises from her friend, or anyone else. Whether other people ignored what they saw, or hastily averted their eyes when they realized what was in front of them, Peggy was invisible.

Peggy felt the familiar flash of fear ease its way through the core of her body, and thought, “If he knew I was here, he wouldn’t be happy.” But she also felt something else she couldn’t quite name. Empowerment, perhaps? The idea made the briefest smile flicker across her face. She had come to her friend Alice Neel’s home to have her portrait
painted, unsure how she'd mustered the strength, but wanting to be seen.

“Peggy” was painted by Neel in 1949. As an artist, Neel was known for honest, emotionally raw portraits of people in her life, many of them friends or people from her neighborhood. Neel called herself “a collector of souls”; she had a way of encouraging her subjects’ trust. She helped others open up and be vulnerable. 

Neel wasn’t afraid to paint the parts of life that were hard for others to see. Peggy was Neel’s neighbor, and a victim of domestic abuse, but her portrait captures something deeper than the woman’s cuts and bruises. Peggy’s posture, expression, and faraway look show us the frailty and resignation of a woman caught in a hopeless situation. Little else is known about Peggy’s life, but, when discussing the painting, Neel would sometimes relay her subject’s tragic end: her ultimate overdose and death as her drunken husband lay next to her in bed.

In 1949, when Peggy’s portrait was painted, intimate partner violence (IPV) was rarely discussed, a fact that makes Peggy’s courage extraordinary. Her portrait serves as a reminder that, as nurses, we must be willing to see unpleasant things and address uncomfortable topics. During Peggy’s lifetime, there were few, if any, resources available for those who needed help dealing with or escaping violence. Today, though IPV knowledge and resources have grown, many victims still struggle with fear, mistrust, and shame. As a nurse practitioner and DNP student working in mental health, “Peggy,” and other works by Alice Neel, make me consider what is most valuable in how I practice. My goal is to create an environment that feels safe and free of judgment, a space where people are seen authentically and unafraid to seek help. 

DNP student Natalie Drawdy, MSN, RN, PMHNP-BC, PNP-BC, works for Balance Behavioral Health in Richmond, Va., at a practice serving individuals with brain injuries.