Background
Dorothy McNeill was born in Camberwell, the daughter of a clerk and the fourth of seven children.
Dorothy McNeill was born in Camberwell, the daughter of a clerk and the fourth of seven children.
In her time she was regarded by some as an exemplar of bohemian fashion. That year Gwen and McNeill traveled together on foot through France, following the Garonne River. During a stay in Toulouse Gwen John painted several oils of McNeill, including Dorelia in a Black Dress, before the two proceeded to Paris, where they briefly shared quarters in 1904.
McNeill left for Bruges with a Belgian artist, and was pursued by Augustus, with whom she returned to England.
The arrangement lasted until Nettleship"s death in 1907, when McNeill became the principal female figure in the John household. Later she had an affair, at Augustus" encouragement, with the painter Henry Lamb.
McNeill is often described as quiet and enigmatic. She lived with him until his death in 1961.
Her step-granddaughter was the 1960s bohemian fashion icon Talitha Getty.