Margaret Keane

Margaret Keane (Nashville, 1927-Napa, 2022) was an American painter known for the large eyes of her figures, especially women, children and animals. Her work was very popular in the 1960s, although for years the public attributed the paintings to her husband.

Born Margaret Doris Hawkins, she took drawing classes at age 10 at the Watkins Institute in Nashville and spent a year at the Traphagen School of Design in New York. She painted in oil and acrylic, experimenting with kitsch. After marrying real estate agent and amateur painter Walter Keane in 1955, she refined her technique; her first professional painting dates from 1959.

Walter handled the promotion and sold prints and engravings signed "Keane" through department stores, comic books and magazines. The public believed he was the artist. Margaret, who painted for long periods while kept largely indoors, took time to find out, and Walter threatened to kill her if she revealed the truth.

After divorcing in 1965, she developed her own style, signed "MDH Keane". In 1970 she challenged Walter to paint in public in Union Square; he did not show up, and she painted before a crowd. She later moved to Hawaii and eventually became a Jehovah's Witness.

In 1986 she sued Walter and USA Today over an article that credited the works to him alone. At the trial, the jury asked both to paint a picture: Margaret did so in 53 minutes, while Walter painted nothing, citing a supposed shoulder pain. The verdict allowed her to sign her works as Keane and ordered Walter to pay 4 million dollars in damages.