Skip to main content

Margaret Keane Figurative Paintings

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
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
514
313
283
234
1
Artist: Margaret Keane
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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Related Items
The Artist's Apartment - Mid-Century Fauvist Interior Scene, Oil on Canvas 48x48
The Artist's Apartment - Mid-Century Fauvist Interior Scene, Oil on Canvas 48x48

The Artist's Apartment - Mid-Century Fauvist Interior Scene, Oil on Canvas 48x48

Located in Soquel, CA

The Artist's Apartment Mid-Century Fauvist Interior Scene Original Oil on Canvas Vibrant interior scene by Santa Cruz California artist Frances Rinaldo (American, b. 1943). A bright...

Category

1960s American Modern Margaret Keane Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars

Nuns And Doves, The Family, Avant-garde Woman Artist Marcel Duchamp's daughter
Nuns And Doves, The Family, Avant-garde Woman Artist Marcel Duchamp's daughter

Nuns And Doves, The Family, Avant-garde Woman Artist Marcel Duchamp's daughter

Located in Norwich, GB

In 1910, having separated from her first husband, the artist model Jeanne Chastagnier Serré had a relationship with the surrealist Marcel Duchamp: you know, the one of the porcelain ...

Category

1930s Modern Margaret Keane Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Fiberboard

Still Life on a Table - Oil Painting on Canvas - 20th Century
Still Life on a Table - Oil Painting on Canvas - 20th Century

Still Life on a Table - Oil Painting on Canvas - 20th Century

Located in Roma, IT

Still Life on a Table is an original oil painting on canvas realized in the 20th Century. Good conditions (the painting has been restored in some parts). Frame included (83x108 cm).

Category

20th Century Modern Margaret Keane Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Winter Landscape" William Lester Stevens, Cape Ann Snowy Landscape
"Winter Landscape" William Lester Stevens, Cape Ann Snowy Landscape

"Winter Landscape" William Lester Stevens, Cape Ann Snowy Landscape

By William Lester Stevens

Located in New York, NY

William Lester Stevens Winter Landscape Signed lower right Oil on canvas 32 x 36 inches Born on June 15, 1888, in Rockport, Massachusetts, Stevens displayed his artistic abilities ...

Category

1920s Modern Margaret Keane Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"The Champ, 1942" Joe Louis "Brown Bomber" Boxer Portrait Ex-Museum Oil Signed
"The Champ, 1942" Joe Louis "Brown Bomber" Boxer Portrait Ex-Museum Oil Signed

"The Champ, 1942" Joe Louis "Brown Bomber" Boxer Portrait Ex-Museum Oil Signed

Located in Yardley, PA

“The Champ, 1942” by Theodore Fried (1902-1980) This important portrait by Hungarian-American artist Theodore Fried depicts the legendary boxer Joe Louis aka “The Brown Bomber” and ...

Category

1940s American Modern Margaret Keane Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

A Large 1930s Modern Painting of Jackson Square, New Orleans, St. Lous Cathedral
A Large 1930s Modern Painting of Jackson Square, New Orleans, St. Lous Cathedral

A Large 1930s Modern Painting of Jackson Square, New Orleans, St. Lous Cathedral

By Walter Burt Adams

Located in Chicago, IL

A Large, Striking 1930s Modern Painting of the Historic St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square, New Orleans by Notable Chicago Artist, Walter Burt Adams (Am. 1903-1990). A painterly view of the historic landmark and park located in the heart of the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. Completed circa 1938 during one of the artist's painting trips to New Orleans, and most likely painted in the quiet hours after dawn before any pedestrians or sight-seers walk the typically bustling city square. Artwork size: 36 x 30 inches, oil on canvas (framed size: 36 1/2 x 30 1/2 inches). Unsigned. Provenance: Estate of the artist. Walter Burt Adams was a dedicated painter of the American Scene and a singular personality among his peers in the Chicago Modern Art community. His no-nonsense manner, devotion to his craft and sardonic sense of humor characterize a man whose paintings capture life in and around Chicago between the early 1920s and the late 1970s. Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin just after the turn of the last century, Walter Burt Adams spent his childhood in Fargo, North Dakota and began his artistic education there through a correspondence cartooning class as a boy. After finishing high school in Fargo, Adams moved to Chicago in 1922 in order to enroll at the school of the Art Institute of Chicago. Adams’ instruction at the school with artists such as George Oberteuffer, Frederick V. Poole, Charles Wilimovsky...

Category

1930s American Modern Margaret Keane Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ruth, American Modern Oil Painting on Canvas, Mid-20th Century, Signed
Ruth, American Modern Oil Painting on Canvas, Mid-20th Century, Signed

Ruth, American Modern Oil Painting on Canvas, Mid-20th Century, Signed

By Joseph Watson Little

Located in New York, NY

Joe Watson Little - (1915 - 1986) Had a considerable run for Hearst publications, doing covers and story arts from the 40s through the 60s. Also did PWPs (Post War Pulps) like Master...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Margaret Keane Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pair of Landscapes with Views of Ancient Rome - Oil on Canvas - Mid 19th century
Pair of Landscapes with Views of Ancient Rome - Oil on Canvas - Mid 19th century

Pair of Landscapes with Views of Ancient Rome - Oil on Canvas - Mid 19th century

Located in Roma, IT

Landscapes with Views of Ancient Rome is an original pair of oil on canvas realized in the Second Half 19th Century. Mixed colored oil on canvas, mounted on panel. Minor damage to ...

Category

Mid-19th Century Modern Margaret Keane Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A Serene 1940's Vermont Landscape Painting by Harold Haydon
A Serene 1940's Vermont Landscape Painting by Harold Haydon

A Serene 1940's Vermont Landscape Painting by Harold Haydon

By Harold Haydon

Located in Chicago, IL

A scenic, American Modern 1940s Vermont summer landscape painting, depicting evergreen trees overlooking a placid lake by notable Chicago artist, Harold Haydon. Oil on canvas, measu...

Category

1940s American Modern Margaret Keane Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

View of the Gulf of Naples from Capodimonte - Oil Painting - 19th Century
View of the Gulf of Naples from Capodimonte - Oil Painting - 19th Century

View of the Gulf of Naples from Capodimonte - Oil Painting - 19th Century

By Camillo de Vito

Located in Roma, IT

View of the Gulf of Naples from Capodimonte is an oil on canvas realized by a follower of Camillo De Vito. Not signed. The Gulf of Naples, including a ...

Category

19th Century Modern Margaret Keane Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paint, Oil, Canvas

Previously Available Items
Authentic Oil Painting on Panel "Big Eyes" Beautiful Young Girl with Siamese Cat
Authentic Oil Painting on Panel "Big Eyes" Beautiful Young Girl with Siamese Cat

Authentic Oil Painting on Panel "Big Eyes" Beautiful Young Girl with Siamese Cat

By Margaret Keane

Located in Portland, OR

An original and authentic oil on panel portrait painting of a beautiful young girl and her cat by American artist Margaret Hawkins Keane (1927-2022). Signed and dated, complete with ...

Category

1980s Pop Art Margaret Keane Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

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 Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Margaret Keane figurative paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Margaret Keane figurative paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Margaret Keane in canvas, fabric, oil 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 figurative paintings, so small editions measuring 18 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Ernest Hamlin Baker, Coby Whitmore, and Wilson McLean. Margaret Keane figurative paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $12,800 and tops out at $34,000, while the average work can sell for $23,400.