Skip to main content

Margaret Keane Art

American, 1927-2022

Margaret Keane was born Peggy Doris Hawkins on September 15, 1927, in Nashville, Tennessee. When she was two years old, her eardrum was permanently damaged during a mastoid operation. Unable to hear properly, Keane learned to watch the eyes of the person talking to her to understand them. 

Keane started drawing as a child. At age 10 she took classes at the Watkins Institute in Nashville. She created her first oil painting of two little girls — one crying and one laughing — when she was 10 years old and gave the work to her grandmother. Keane became well known at the local church for her sketches of angels with big eyes and floppy wings. 

At age 18 Keane attended the Traphagen School of Design in New York City for a year. She initially earned money by painting clothing and baby cribs in the 1950s until she finally began painting portraits. Early on Keane experimented with kitsch. She worked in both acrylics and oil-based paints and limited the subjects of her artwork to women, children and familiar animals (cats, dogs and horses). 

Keane's paintings are recognizable by the oversized doe-like eyes of her subjects. She said she was always interested in the eyes and used to draw them in her school books. She began painting her signature "Keane eyes" when she started to create portraits of children. 

"Children do have big eyes,” Keane said. “When I'm doing a portrait, the eyes are the most expressive part of the face. And they just got bigger and bigger and bigger." 

Keane focused on the eyes as they better illuminate the inner person. The artist cited Modigliani's work as a major influence on the way she had painted women since 1959. Other artists who influenced her use of color, dimension and composition include Van Gogh, Picasso and Klimt. She was named a Fellow of the Society of Western Artists after exhibiting in three Annual Juried Shows in the M.H. De Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco.

Keane's works are in collections all over the world. Public collections include the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Madrid, the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo, the Tennessee Fine Arts Museum in Nashville and more.

Find original Margaret Keane paintings and prints on 1stDibs.

(Biography provided by Lucille Lucas Gallery)

to
1
1
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
2
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
2
10,191
2,807
2,500
1,398
2
Artist: Margaret Keane
Boy in Red Shirt original lithograph by Margaret Keane c 1980
Boy in Red Shirt original lithograph by Margaret Keane c 1980

Boy in Red Shirt original lithograph by Margaret Keane c 1980

By Margaret Keane

Located in Paonia, CO

Boy in Red Shirt is an original lithograph by Margaret Keane c. 1980. A young boy in a red shirt is seen in front of a three story building in a city on a blue sky day. An ori...

Category

1980s Expressionist Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Lithograph

Modernist Portrait of a Woman
Modernist Portrait of a Woman

Modernist Portrait of a Woman

By Margaret Keane

Located in Milford, NH

A fine modernist portrait of a woman by American artist Margaret Hawkins Keane (1927-2022). Keane was born in Nashville,TN, and attributes her deep respect for the Bible and inspirations of her artwork to the relationship with her grandmother. In the 1960’s, while married to her second husband Walter, she was forced to paint and sell under his name, but during their divorce proceedings, she was able to prove that the paintings were actually done by her and the court determined that she was able to paint under her own name again. She became known for painting women and children with large black sad eyes...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Related Items
"Brotherhood" lithograph by Käthe Kollwitz
"Brotherhood" lithograph by Käthe Kollwitz

Käthe Kollwitz"Brotherhood" lithograph by Käthe Kollwitz, 1941

$1,200Sale Price|20% Off

H 20 in W 20 in D 0.25 in

"Brotherhood" lithograph by Käthe Kollwitz

By Käthe Kollwitz

Located in Soquel, CA

Bold print of "Brotherhood" by Kathe Kollwitz (German, 1867-1945). This piece is one of the Lithographic reproductions of the original lithographs, plate 3 from a series of 10, print...

Category

1940s Expressionist Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Paper, Ink, Lithograph

"Morning" Nude Couple in Bed - Figurative Composition in Oil on Canvas
"Morning" Nude Couple in Bed - Figurative Composition in Oil on Canvas

"Morning" Nude Couple in Bed - Figurative Composition in Oil on Canvas

Located in Soquel, CA

Delicate and expressive depiction of a nude couple by Byron Richard Rodarmel (American, 1932-2007). A couple is intertwined on a bed, rendered in a soft palette of peach, yellow, pin...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Bread" lithograph by Käthe Kollwitz
"Bread" lithograph by Käthe Kollwitz

Käthe Kollwitz"Bread" lithograph by Käthe Kollwitz, 1941

$1,200Sale Price|20% Off

H 20 in W 18 in D 0.25 in

"Bread" lithograph by Käthe Kollwitz

By Käthe Kollwitz

Located in Soquel, CA

Bold lithograph titled "Bread" by Kathe Kollwitz (German, 1867-1945). This piece is one of the Lithographic reproductions of the original lithographs, plate 2 from a series of 10, pr...

Category

1940s Expressionist Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Paper, Ink, Lithograph

Ballerine sur fond vert, 1995, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned
Ballerine sur fond vert, 1995, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned

Ballerine sur fond vert, 1995, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned

By Jean Jansem

Located in Les Acacias GE, GE

Jean Jansem (1920-2013) Ballerine sur fond vert, 1995 Lithographie sur papier Arches, justifiée et numérotée 48/100 Signée en bas à droite 22 x 17 cm / 32 x 26 cm Bibliographie: ...

Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Death Takes The Children" lithograph by Käthe Kollwitz
"Death Takes The Children" lithograph by Käthe Kollwitz

"Death Takes The Children" lithograph by Käthe Kollwitz

By Käthe Kollwitz

Located in Soquel, CA

Bold print of "Death Takes the Children" by Kathe Kollwitz (German, 1867-1945). This piece is one of the Lithographic reproductions of the original lithographs, plate 9 from a series...

Category

1940s Expressionist Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Paper, Ink, Lithograph

View of  Riva degli Schiavoni - Oil Painting - Late 18th century
View of  Riva degli Schiavoni - Oil Painting - Late 18th century

View of Riva degli Schiavoni - Oil Painting - Late 18th century

By Giovanni Antonio Canal (Canaletto)

Located in Roma, IT

View of Riva degli Schiavoni is an original old master artwork realized in the late 18th century by a follower of the School of the italian painter Canaletto. Oil on canvas. An imp...

Category

Late 18th Century Modern Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Petite danseuse aux cheveux défaits, 1991, original lithograph by Jean Jansem
Petite danseuse aux cheveux défaits, 1991, original lithograph by Jean Jansem

Petite danseuse aux cheveux défaits, 1991, original lithograph by Jean Jansem

By Jean Jansem

Located in Les Acacias GE, GE

Jean Jansem (1920-2013) Petite danseuse aux cheveux défaits, 1991 Lithographie sur papier Arches Signée en bas à droite et justifiée en bas à droite 66 x 47 cm / 76 x 54 cm Imprime...

Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Lithograph

Ancient View of San Giovanni in Laterano - Painting - Early 20th Century
Ancient View of San Giovanni in Laterano - Painting - Early 20th Century

Ancient View of San Giovanni in Laterano - Painting - Early 20th Century

Located in Roma, IT

View of the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, Rome, realized between the late 19th and the early 20th Century, probably after an older painting. Oil on canvas, framed. Not sign...

Category

Early 20th Century Modern Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

At The Bar Large Modern Spanish Oil Painting
At The Bar Large Modern Spanish Oil Painting

Elisabeth SabalaAt The Bar Large Modern Spanish Oil Painting, 1980

$5,625Sale Price|25% Off

H 79 in W 67 in D 2 in

At The Bar Large Modern Spanish Oil Painting

By Elisabeth Sabala

Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL

Conversation At The Bar Thick oil impasto on canvas, framed. Elisabeth Sabala Abelló (Barcelona, 1956). She studied industrial design at the School of Arts and Crafts in Barcelona and has a degree in Fine Arts, a specialty in painting, from the Central University of the same city. Sabala is a convinced figurative who has given all the prominence of her work to the representation of the human being in its most trivial aspects. At a time when the artistic landscape extols abstract and conceptual art focused on the great universal themes, Sabala continues to focus on the small defects that bring us closer to the collective and the human. The artistic progression of Sabala takes place, at first, from a bleak period to another vitalist and, later, from the representation of isolated characters (In the super, Reading the stories of the paintings) to the recreation of great concentrations of its peculiar individuals characterized in an endless number of situations (The Great Dance, The Girls of the Choir). Sabala's work is vital and touching, as well as scathing and satirical: it confronts its characters in the most varied situations, capturing, at the same time, the viewer's attention with an unusual juxtaposition of colors that do not seek chromatic harmony, but expression and movement through matter. In 1980 she won the first prize of a painting of the City of Castelldefels, and the following year she debuted individually in the Caixa Catalunya room, in Barcelona. In 1984, she was selected for the XXIII Joan Miró Drawing Prize, taking part in a traveling exhibition in Japan. Sabala won the first prize in the International Painting Competition of Pollença (Mallorca) in 1985, and the following year she took part in a collective held at the Martano Gallery in Turin. That same year of 1986 she obtained the Scholarship of Plastic Arts of the Generalitat de Catalunya. She continues to hold personal shows in Barcelona, ​​Mallorca, Madrid, and Italy, and in 1989 she debuted in New York with an individual exhibition held at the Scott Alan Gallery. Since then she will reiterate her presence both in that city and in Paris, Berlin, Monaco, Amsterdam, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Hong Kong, etc. Her works have been present at Interactive, ARCO, Art Forum, Art Jonction and New Art, as well as in various Spanish museums. • Studies: Fine Arts, University of Barcelona • Industrial Design, School of Arts and Crafts, Barcelona Main exhibitions Spain: • Barcelona: ◦ Arcs & Cracks​, 1990, 1992, Anna Benach 1993, Helena Ramos 1993 ◦ Maria Jose Castellvi 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001 “a wedding is a wedding” + Performance “Ella” ◦ 2004, 2006 “Fashion satisfaction” + Performance ◦ 2008 “Women's weapons” • Girona: ◦ Helena Ramos 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995 ◦ Cyprus Art...

Category

1980s Modern Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Oil, Cotton Canvas

Joelle de dos au coussin vert 1995 original lithograph by Jean Jansem handsigned
Joelle de dos au coussin vert 1995 original lithograph by Jean Jansem handsigned

Joelle de dos au coussin vert 1995 original lithograph by Jean Jansem handsigned

By Jean Jansem

Located in Les Acacias GE, GE

Jean Jansem (1920-2013) Joelle de dos au coussin vert, 1995 Lithographie sur papier Arches Signée et justifiée 56 x 76 cm Album: La danse, 1999 Imprimeur: Arts-Litho, Paris Editeur ...

Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Lithograph

Deux danseuses, 1995, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned, numbered
Deux danseuses, 1995, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned, numbered

Deux danseuses, 1995, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned, numbered

By Jean Jansem

Located in Les Acacias GE, GE

Jean Jansem (1920-2013) Deux danseuses, 1995 Lithographie sur papier Arches, justifiée et numérotée EA Signée en bas à droite 22 x 17 cm / 32 x 26 cm Bibliographie: Catalogue raiso...

Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Lithograph

Reclining Female Nude
Reclining Female Nude

Edwin BrentReclining Female Nude, 1952-53

$850

H 30.5 in W 24.5 in D 1 in

Reclining Female Nude

Located in Astoria, NY

Edwin Brent (American, 1921-2004), Reclining Female Nude Figure, Oil on Canvas, 1952-53, signed, marked "Brackman A.M." and with Art Students League of New York label verso, wood fra...

Category

1950s Modern Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Previously Available Items
Madame Butterfly
Madame Butterfly

Margaret KeaneMadame Butterfly, c.1986

Sold

H 39.5 in W 38.5 in D 1.5 in

Madame Butterfly

By Margaret Keane

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "Madame Butterfly" 1986, is an original color serigraph with gold addition by noted American artist Margaret Keane, 1927-2022. It is hand signed and numbered HH 109/150 in pencil by the artist. The image size is 24 x 24 inches, framed size is 39.5 x 38.5 inches. Custom framed in a wooden gold frame, with green fabric matting, gold color bevel and three different colors fillet. It is in excellent condition, the frame have some minor restorations, barely visible. About the artist. Margaret D. H. Keane was born 1927 in Tennessee, and attributes her deep respect for the Bible and inspirations of her artwork to the relationship with her grandmother. She later became one of Jehovah's Witnesses, which she said changed her life for the better. In the 1960s, Margaret Keane's artwork was sold under the name of her husband, Walter Keane. He locked her in a room and forced her to paint,while taking credit for her work. Conflict over that issue was cited as one of the reasons they divorced. Neither wanting to relinquish rights to the artwork, Walter and Margaret's divorce proceedings went all the way to federal court. At the hearing, Margaret created a painting in front of the judge to prove that she was the artist. Walter declined to paint before the court, citing a sore shoulder. In 1986, the courts sided with her, enabling her to paint under her own name. Her works while living in her husband's shadow tended to depict sad children in a dark setting, but after divorcing, moving to Hawaii, and becoming one of Jehovah's Witnesses, her paintings took on a happier, brighter style. Keane is a fixture in popular culture. Some of her well-known fans over the years have included actresses Joan Crawford and Natalie Wood, whom she painted portraits of; filmmaker Tim Burton, who commissioned Keane to paint Lisa Marie; and animator Craig McCracken, whose characters the Powerpuff Girls are based on Keane's 'waifs'; additionally the Girls' schoolteacher is named "Ms. Keane". Cultural references • The American television comedy show Saturday Night Live once had a skit that featured her work, during the time when it was thought to be by her husband, as a parody of the reaction against modern art (e.g., Cubism or the New York Armory Show). "People don't look like that!" one comedian shrieks, before the picture in question was shown to the camera and audience as the punch line. • In Woody Allen's 1973 comedy Sleeper, the people of the future consider Keane to be one of the greatest artists in history, one of many references mocking the popular culture of the seventies. • Late Night with Conan O'Brien has "bumper" art in her style depicting a glum Conan O'Brien at his desk, next to a dog. • Weird Al Yankovic's song Velvet Elvis, in which the narrator says he needs "no pictures of Mexican kids with those really big eyes or dogs playing poker". • In season 3, episode 20 of 90210 (Women on the Verge), Annie is described as looking "like a Keane painting...

Category

Late 20th Century American Realist Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Screen

Wide Eyes Waif -  like the Movie Poster from Tim Burton
Wide Eyes Waif -  like the Movie Poster from Tim Burton

Wide Eyes Waif - like the Movie Poster from Tim Burton

By Margaret Keane

Located in Miami, FL

The image of Wide Eyes exemplifies Margaret Keane's signature style. However, not all of her work rises to a high level. This painting has punch and power tempered by sensitivity and...

Category

1970s American Realist Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Boy in Red Shirt original lithograph by Margaret Keane c 1980
Boy in Red Shirt original lithograph by Margaret Keane c 1980

Boy in Red Shirt original lithograph by Margaret Keane c 1980

By Margaret Keane

Located in Paonia, CO

Boy in Red Shirt is an original lithograph by Margaret Keane c. 1980. A young boy in a red shirt is seen in front of a three story building in a city on a blue sky day. An original color lithograph limited edition 72/100 and signed in pencil by the artist. In very good condition with artist's stamp in bottom left corner and a faint line from the figure's hand that goes 2 inches towards bottom margin. Can be seen in detail photo. Could have happened when printed. Margaret Keane born Peggy Doris Hawkins on September 15, 1927 in Nashville, Tennessee. When she was two her eardrum was permanently damaged during a mastoid operation. Unable to hear properly she learned to watch the eyes of the person talking to her to understand them. Keane started drawing as a child and at age 10 she took classes at the Watkins Institute in Nashville. Keane painted her first oil painting of two little girls one crying and one laughing when she was 10 years old and gave the drawing to her grandmother. She was well known at the local church for her sketches of angels...

Category

1980s Expressionist Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Lithograph

San Francisco, Girl with Mission Dolores original lithograph by Margaret Keane
San Francisco, Girl with Mission Dolores original lithograph by Margaret Keane

San Francisco, Girl with Mission Dolores original lithograph by Margaret Keane

By Margaret Keane

Located in Paonia, CO

San Francisco, Girl with Mission Dolores is an original lithograph by Margaret Keane c. 1980. A young girl in a head scarf is seen in front of the Mission Dolores in San Francisco, California on a blue sky day. An original color lithograph limited edition  72/100 and signed in pencil by the artist. In very good condition with artist's stamp in bottom left corner. Margaret Keane born Peggy Doris Hawkins on  September 15, 1927 in Nashville, Tennessee. When she was two her eardrum was permanently damaged during a mastoid operation. Unable to hear properly she learned to watch the eyes of the person talking to her to understand them. Keane started drawing as a child and at age 10 she took classes at the Watkins  Institute in Nashville. Keane painted her first oil painting of two little girls one crying and one laughing when she was 10 years old and gave the drawing to her grandmother. She was well known at the local church for her sketches of angels...

Category

1980s Expressionist Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Lithograph

San Francisco, Girl with Mission Dolores
San Francisco, Girl with Mission Dolores

San Francisco, Girl with Mission Dolores

By Margaret Keane

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork "San Francisco, Girl with Mission Dolores" is a color lithograph by noted American artist Margaret Keane, b.1927. It is hand signed and numbered XXXIV/C in pencil by the artist. The image size is 19.25 x 15.75 inches, framed size is 33.75 x 29 inches. Custom framed in wooden silver frame, with creme color matting and black color spacer. It is in excellent condition. About the artist. Margaret D. H. Keane was born 1927 in Tennessee, and attributes her deep respect for the Bible and inspirations of her artwork to the relationship with her grandmother. She later became one of Jehovah's Witnesses, which she said changed her life for the better. In the 1960s, Margaret Keane's artwork was sold under the name of her husband, Walter Keane. He locked her in a room and forced her to paint,while taking credit for her work. Conflict over that issue was cited as one of the reasons they divorced. Neither wanting to relinquish rights to the artwork, Walter and Margaret's divorce proceedings went all the way to federal court. At the hearing, Margaret created a painting in front of the judge to prove that she was the artist. Walter declined to paint before the court, citing a sore shoulder. In 1986, the courts sided with her, enabling her to paint under her own name. Her works while living in her husband's shadow tended to depict sad children in a dark setting, but after divorcing, moving to Hawaii, and becoming one of Jehovah's Witnesses, her paintings took on a happier, brighter style. Keane is a fixture in popular culture. Some of her well-known fans over the years have included actresses Joan Crawford and Natalie Wood, whom she painted portraits of; filmmaker Tim Burton, who commissioned Keane to paint Lisa Marie; and animator Craig McCracken, whose characters the Powerpuff Girls are based on Keane's 'waifs'; additionally the Girls' schoolteacher is named "Ms. Keane". Cultural references • The American television comedy show Saturday Night Live once had a skit that featured her work, during the time when it was thought to be by her husband, as a parody of the reaction against modern art (e.g., Cubism or the New York Armory Show). "People don't look like that!" one comedian shrieks, before the picture in question was shown to the camera and audience as the punch line. • In Woody Allen's 1973 comedy Sleeper, the people of the future consider Keane to be one of the greatest artists in history, one of many references mocking the popular culture of the seventies. • Late Night with Conan O'Brien has "bumper" art in her style depicting a glum Conan O'Brien at his desk, next to a dog. • Weird Al Yankovic's song Velvet Elvis, in which the narrator says he needs "no pictures of Mexican kids with those really big eyes or dogs playing poker...

Category

Late 20th Century American Realist Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Lithograph

San Francisco Girl with Coit Tower
San Francisco Girl with Coit Tower

San Francisco Girl with Coit Tower

By Margaret Keane

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork "San Francisco, Girl with Coit Tower" is a color lithograph by noted American artist Margaret Keane, b.1927. It is hand signed and numbered LXV/C in pencil by the artist. The image size is 19 x 15.5 inches, framed size is 33.75 x 29.25 inches. Custom framed in wooden rubbed/crackled gold leaf frame, with creme color matting and gold color spacer, see picture #1 and 7 for frame finish detail. It is in excellent condition. About the artist. Margaret D. H. Keane was born 1927 in Tennessee, and attributes her deep respect for the Bible and inspirations of her artwork to the relationship with her grandmother. She later became one of Jehovah's Witnesses, which she said changed her life for the better. In the 1960s, Margaret Keane's artwork was sold under the name of her husband, Walter Keane. He locked her in a room and forced her to paint,while taking credit for her work. Conflict over that issue was cited as one of the reasons they divorced. Neither wanting to relinquish rights to the artwork, Walter and Margaret's divorce proceedings went all the way to federal court. At the hearing, Margaret created a painting in front of the judge to prove that she was the artist. Walter declined to paint before the court, citing a sore shoulder. In 1986, the courts sided with her, enabling her to paint under her own name. Her works while living in her husband's shadow tended to depict sad children in a dark setting, but after divorcing, moving to Hawaii, and becoming one of Jehovah's Witnesses, her paintings took on a happier, brighter style. Keane is a fixture in popular culture. Some of her well-known fans over the years have included actresses Joan Crawford and Natalie Wood, whom she painted portraits of; filmmaker Tim Burton, who commissioned Keane to paint Lisa Marie; and animator Craig McCracken, whose characters the Powerpuff Girls are based on Keane's 'waifs'; additionally the Girls' schoolteacher is named "Ms. Keane". Cultural references • The American television comedy show Saturday Night Live once had a skit that featured her work, during the time when it was thought to be by her husband, as a parody of the reaction against modern art (e.g., Cubism or the New York Armory Show). "People don't look like that!" one comedian shrieks, before the picture in question was shown to the camera and audience as the punch line. • In Woody Allen's 1973 comedy Sleeper, the people of the future consider Keane to be one of the greatest artists in history, one of many references mocking the popular culture of the seventies. • Late Night with Conan O'Brien has "bumper" art in her style depicting a glum Conan O'Brien at his desk, next to a dog. • Weird Al Yankovic's song Velvet Elvis, in which the narrator says he needs "no pictures of Mexican kids with those really big eyes or dogs playing...

Category

Late 20th Century American Realist Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Lithograph

Japanese Princess
Japanese Princess

Margaret KeaneJapanese Princess, 1977

Sold

H 40.75 in W 32.75 in D 2 in

Japanese Princess

By Margaret Keane

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "Japanese Princes" is a color lithograph by noted American artist Margaret Keane, b.1927. It is hand signed and numbered 228/300 in pencil by the artist. The image size is 28.5 x 18 inches, framed size is 40.75 x 32.75 inches. Custom framed in wooden rustic rubbed black and gold frame, with light beige matting and gold color spacer. It is in excellent condition. About the artist. Margaret D. H. Keane was born 1927 in Tennessee, and attributes her deep respect for the Bible and inspirations of her artwork to the relationship with her grandmother. She later became one of Jehovah's Witnesses, which she said changed her life for the better. In the 1960s, Margaret Keane's artwork was sold under the name of her husband, Walter Keane. He locked her in a room and forced her to paint,while taking credit for her work. Conflict over that issue was cited as one of the reasons they divorced. Neither wanting to relinquish rights to the artwork, Walter and Margaret's divorce proceedings went all the way to federal court. At the hearing, Margaret created a painting in front of the judge to prove that she was the artist. Walter declined to paint before the court, citing a sore shoulder. In 1986, the courts sided with her, enabling her to paint under her own name. Her works while living in her husband's shadow tended to depict sad children in a dark setting, but after divorcing, moving to Hawaii, and becoming one of Jehovah's Witnesses, her paintings took on a happier, brighter style. Keane is a fixture in popular culture. Some of her well-known fans over the years have included actresses Joan Crawford and Natalie Wood, whom she painted portraits of; filmmaker Tim Burton, who commissioned Keane to paint Lisa Marie; and animator Craig McCracken, whose characters the Powerpuff Girls are based on Keane's 'waifs'; additionally the Girls' schoolteacher is named "Ms. Keane". Cultural references • The American television comedy show Saturday Night Live once had a skit that featured her work, during the time when it was thought to be by her husband, as a parody of the reaction against modern art (e.g., Cubism or the New York Armory Show). "People don't look like that!" one comedian shrieks, before the picture in question was shown to the camera and audience as the punch line. • In Woody Allen's 1973 comedy Sleeper, the people of the future consider Keane to be one of the greatest artists in history, one of many references mocking the popular culture of the seventies. • Late Night with Conan O'Brien has "bumper" art in her style depicting a glum Conan O'Brien at his desk, next to a dog. • Weird Al Yankovic's song Velvet Elvis, in which the narrator says he needs "no pictures of Mexican kids with those really big eyes or dogs playing poker...

Category

Late 20th Century American Realist Margaret Keane Art

Materials

Lithograph

Margaret Keane art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Margaret Keane art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Margaret Keane in lithograph, oil paint, paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large Margaret Keane art, so small editions measuring 16 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Victor Delfin, Frank Mason, and Jacques Hnizdovsky. Margaret Keane art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $950 and tops out at $34,000, while the average work can sell for $1,200.
Questions About Margaret Keane Art
  • 1stDibs ExpertAugust 29, 2024
    Yes, Keane was a real artist. She was born Peggy Doris Hawkins on September 15, 1927, in Nashville, Tennessee. When she was two years old, her eardrum was permanently damaged during a mastoid operation. Unable to hear properly, Keane learned to watch the eyes of the person talking to her to understand them, and Keane's paintings are recognizable by the oversized doe-like eyes of her subjects. She began painting her signature "Keane eyes" when creating portraits of children. On 1stDibs, explore a variety of Margaret Keane art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertAugust 26, 2024
    The real artist of Big Eyes is Margaret Keane. Keane's paintings are recognizable by the oversized, doe-like eyes of her subjects. She said she was always interested in eyes and used to draw them in her school books. She began painting her signature "Keane eyes" when she started to create portraits of children. "Children do have big eyes,” Keane said. “When I'm doing a portrait, the eyes are the most expressive part of the face. And they just got bigger and bigger and bigger." On 1stDibs, find a range of Margaret Keane art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertOctober 15, 2024
    Yes, Keane is a real artist. Margaret Keane was born Peggy Doris Hawkins in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 15, 1927. At age 18, Keane attended the Traphagen School of Design in New York City for a year. Early on, Keane experimented with kitsch. She began painting her signature oversized "Keane eyes" when creating portraits of children. She said she was always interested in the eyes and used to draw them in her school books. Her life inspired the 2014 film Big Eyes. Find a selection of Margaret Keane art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertOctober 24, 2024
    How much the Tomorrow Forever painting is worth is unknown, as there are no recent publicly available sales records for the work. However, Margaret Keane's paintings have often sold for tens of thousands of dollars. For example, her Portrait of Zsa Zsa Gabor fetched a price of $45,000 at auction in 2018. Generally, Keane is known for painting her subjects with oversized doe-like eyes. She began painting her signature "Keane eyes" when she started to create portraits of children. Shop a range of Margaret Keane art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertOctober 15, 2024
    The real story behind Big Eyes is the life of artist Margaret Keane. She was born Peggy Doris Hawkins on September 15, 1927, in Nashville, Tennessee. When she was two years old, her eardrum was permanently damaged during a mastoid operation. Keane learned to watch the eyes of the person talking to her to understand them, influencing the drawings he began creating as a child. At age 10, she took classes at the Watkins Institute in Nashville. At age 18, she attended the Traphagen School of Design in New York City for a year. She initially earned money by painting clothing and baby cribs in the 1950s until she began painting portraits. Early on, Keane experimented with kitsch. She began painting her signature "Keane eyes" when she started to create portraits of children. Keane's works are now in collections all over the world, including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Madrid, the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo and the Memphis Brooks Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. On 1stDibs, shop a diverse assortment of Margaret Keane art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertOctober 15, 2024
    Yes, Big Eyes paintings are real. They are the work of artist Margaret Keane, whose life inspired the 2014 film Big Eyes. Her paintings are recognizable by the oversized, doe-like eyes of her subjects. She said she was always interested in the eyes and used to draw them in her school books. She began painting her signature "Keane eyes" when she started creating portraits of children. On 1stDibs, find a collection of Margaret Keane art.