Margaret Keane: Difference between revisions
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In the 1960s her artwork was sold under the name of her husband, [[Walter Keane]], who claimed credit for it. On November 1, 1964, she left him and moved from San Francisco to Hawaii, where she met Honolulu sports writer Dan McGuire. She divorced Keane in 1965, and married McGuire in 1970.<ref>"Big Eyes and All: The Unofficial Biography of Margaret Keane", page 27</ref> |
In the 1960s her artwork was sold under the name of her husband, [[Walter Keane]], who claimed credit for it. On November 1, 1964, she left him and moved from San Francisco to Hawaii, where she met Honolulu sports writer Dan McGuire. She divorced Keane in 1965, and married McGuire in 1970.<ref>"Big Eyes and All: The Unofficial Biography of Margaret Keane", page 27</ref> |
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In 1970, Keane announced to the world, via radio broadcast, that she was the true creator of the paintings. Walter Keane disputed her claim; suggesting to ''[[USA Today]]'' that she had claimed to be the painter because she believed that he was dead. When she sued him in federal court for slander, the judge famously ordered both Margaret and Walter to each create a big-eyed child painting there in the courtroom, in order to determine who was telling the truth. Walter declined, citing a sore shoulder, whereas she completed her painting in 53 minutes. After a three-week trial, the jury awarded her $4 million in damages.<ref name=people>[http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20093924,00.html James S. Kunen, "Margaret Keane's Artful Case Proves That She—and Not Her Ex-Husband—made Waifs", ''People'', 23 June 1986]</ref><ref name="Huff Big Eyes" /> |
In 1970, Keane announced to the world, via radio broadcast, that she was the true creator of the paintings. Walter Keane disputed her claim; suggesting to ''[[USA Today]]'' that she had claimed to be the painter because she believed that he was dead. When she sued him in federal court for slander, the judge famously ordered both Margaret and Walter to each create a big-eyed child painting there in the courtroom, in order to determine who was telling the truth. Walter declined, citing a sore shoulder, whereas she completed her painting in 53 minutes. After a three-week trial, the jury awarded her $4 million in damages.<ref name=people>[http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20093924,00.html James S. Kunen, "Margaret Keane's Artful Case Proves That She—and Not Her Ex-Husband—made Waifs", ''People'', 23 June 1986]</ref><ref name="Huff Big Eyes" /> A federal appeals court upheld the verdict of defamation in 1990 but overturned the $4 million damage award.<ref>{{cite news|title=Keane left isles for California in ’91|url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/97/08/11/news/whatever.html|publisher=Honolulu Star Bulletin|date=August 6, 1997}}</ref> |
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The works Keane created while living in her husband's shadow tended to depict sad-looking children in dark settings. Once she had left Walter Keane, moved to [[Hawaii]] and become a [[Jehovah's Witness]], her work took on a happier, brighter style. Keane's website now advertises her work as having "tears of joy" or "tears of happiness".<ref>"My Life as a Famous Artist", ''[[Awake!]]'', July 8, 1975</ref> |
The works Keane created while living in her husband's shadow tended to depict sad-looking children in dark settings. Once she had left Walter Keane, moved to [[Hawaii]] and become a [[Jehovah's Witness]], her work took on a happier, brighter style. Keane's website now advertises her work as having "tears of joy" or "tears of happiness".<ref>"My Life as a Famous Artist", ''[[Awake!]]'', July 8, 1975</ref> |
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Revision as of 13:35, 29 December 2014
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Margaret Keane | |
|---|---|
 Margaret Keane with first husband Frank Ulbrich, painting names on neckties at the fair, 1953. | |
| Born | Peggy Doris Hawkins 1927 (age 96–97) |
| Other names | Peggy Ulbrich, MDH Keane, Margaret McGuire |
| Occupation | Artist |
| Spouse(s) | Frank Ulbrich, Walter Keane
(m. 1955; div. 1965)Dan McGuire (m. 1970) |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | www |
Margaret D. H. Keane, née Peggy Doris Hawkins, (born 1927) is an American artist, who mainly paints women, children, and animals in oil or mixed media. Her works are recognizable by the oversized, doe-like, or Anime-like, eyes of the subjects.
Early life
Margaret Keane was born in Tennessee. She attributes her relationship with her grandmother for her deep respect for the Bible and inspiration for her artwork.
Career and style
Keane's works are recognizable by the oversized, doe-like, or Anime-like, eyes of her subjects.[1]
In the 1960s her artwork was sold under the name of her husband, Walter Keane, who claimed credit for it. On November 1, 1964, she left him and moved from San Francisco to Hawaii, where she met Honolulu sports writer Dan McGuire. She divorced Keane in 1965, and married McGuire in 1970.[2]
In 1970, Keane announced to the world, via radio broadcast, that she was the true creator of the paintings. Walter Keane disputed her claim; suggesting to USA Today that she had claimed to be the painter because she believed that he was dead. When she sued him in federal court for slander, the judge famously ordered both Margaret and Walter to each create a big-eyed child painting there in the courtroom, in order to determine who was telling the truth. Walter declined, citing a sore shoulder, whereas she completed her painting in 53 minutes. After a three-week trial, the jury awarded her $4 million in damages.[3][1] A federal appeals court upheld the verdict of defamation in 1990 but overturned the $4 million damage award.[4]
The works Keane created while living in her husband's shadow tended to depict sad-looking children in dark settings. Once she had left Walter Keane, moved to Hawaii and become a Jehovah's Witness, her work took on a happier, brighter style. Keane's website now advertises her work as having "tears of joy" or "tears of happiness".[5]
Later life
As of 2014, Keane lives in Napa County, California.
Media portrayal
In the 2014 film Big Eyes, Keane is portrayed by actress Amy Adams. The film was directed by Tim Burton, a Keane artwork collector, who, in the 1990s, commissioned the artist to paint a portrait of his then-girlfriend Lisa Marie.[6]
Legacy
- Actresses Joan Crawford and Natalie Wood commissioned Keane to paint their portraits.
- In 1973, Woody Allen's comedy Sleeper features people of the future considering Keane to be one of the greatest artists in history.
- In the 1980s, sketch series Saturday Night Live aired a skit featuring Keane's work as a parody of the reaction against modern art (e.g., Cubism or the New York Armory Show). Additionally, in the sitcom Newhart, Bob looks at a Keane-inspired painting with his puzzled observation as, "Children with big ears?"
- In 1998, cartoon series the Powerpuff Girls debuts by animator Craig McCracken, featuring leads based on Keane's "waifs" (and a character named "Ms. Keane").
- In 1999, Matthew Sweet's album, In Reverse, features one of Keane's oil paintings on the album's cover.[7]
- In 2014, the movie Big Eyes directed by Tim Burton and starring Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz, premiered. It is based on the relationship between Margaret and Walter in the 1950s and '60s.
References
- ^ a b "Tim Burton 'Big Eyes' Movie Tells The Story Of Art Couple Margaret and Walter Keane...", Huffington Post, April 4, 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-09.
- ^ "Big Eyes and All: The Unofficial Biography of Margaret Keane", page 27
- ^ James S. Kunen, "Margaret Keane's Artful Case Proves That She—and Not Her Ex-Husband—made Waifs", People, 23 June 1986
- ^ "Keane left isles for California in '91". Honolulu Star Bulletin. August 6, 1997.
- ^ "My Life as a Famous Artist", Awake!, July 8, 1975
- ^ “The big-eyed children: the extraordinary story of an epic art fraud”, “The Guardian”, October 26, 2014, Retrieved 2014-10-28.
- ^ http://www.avclub.com/articles/matthew-sweet,13636/
- Official Collectors Gallery by Copper State Design
- Ask Art
- An excerpt transcribed from Awake! magazine of July 8, 1975 reposted by Megan Besmirched
- Keane Eyes Gallery
- Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood by Suzanne Finstad
External links
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| Warning | Local parameters are deprecated. |
