The American artist Margaret Keane became famous for her unusual paintings. They depict children, women or animals with large expressive eyes. But the path to success turned out to be difficult.
Big-eyed, like aliens, the heroes of Peggy Doris Hawkins' paintings are familiar to many and loved in America. Works as a painter in mixed media and paints in oils. Recognition for the artist, who had already stepped over her ninth decade, came in the sixties.
The path to the vocation
The biography of the future celebrity began in 1927. The girl was born in Nashville on September 15. The child grew up quiet, overly timid and painful. The grandmother had a tremendous influence on the formation of the granddaughter's worldview.
At an early age, the baby showed the ability to draw. Painting began. At the age of ten, Peggy first depicted in her work in oil two little girls, one of whom was laughing and the other crying.
Miss Hawkins received her education at the Walkins Art Institute in her hometown. She then completed her studies at the New York School of Art and Design. Margaret admitted that her work was influenced by the work of Amedeo Modigliani. The girl married early, a child appeared in the family, the daughter of Susan. However, the marriage fell apart.
Margaret completely went into work to provide for her daughter and herself. At an art exhibition in New York, the woman met the charming Walter Keane. Like her, he was an artist. In addition, the little-known painter showed an extraordinary gift of a marketer.
Walter quickly realized that Margaret's work deserved close attention. He offered a timid colleague the realization of her paintings on his own behalf. The young man explained this move by his reputation in the art world. Sales were successful and demand was constantly increasing. Keane and Hawkins soon became husband and wife.
Recognition and disappointment
After informing his spouse that he plans to sell her paintings at the entrance to one of the clubs in New York, Walter stocked up with portraits of children with exaggeratedly large naive eyes and prepared to sell at least a couple of paintings. However, Keene could not count on the overwhelming success. Almost all the paintings were of interest to people. Many wanted to buy them.
In the first half of the sixties, the artist gained fame. The cost of her work was constantly increasing. They were bought for fabulous money. For those who could not afford to have the originals, Walter offered less expensive purchases. According to his idea, the sale of posters, calendars and greeting cards with reproductions of paintings by his wife began in kiosks. They sold in gigantic quantities. An enterprising man organized a production with images of adorable children, even on kitchen aprons and dishes.
The relationship between the spouses gradually deteriorated. The imperious Keene wanted to completely subjugate his talented wife. She threw out her experiences in creativity. The heroes of her works became more and more sad.
Fully passionate about her work, Mrs. Keane did not know that all her creations, as before, were sold under the signature of her husband. The news of this discouraged the artist. However, the husband managed to convince her that he was doing everything for the good of their family.
In the early sixties, an order was received for a huge canvas "Tomorrow Forever". The canvas depicts hundreds of children of various nationalities in an endless column. The artist worked on a new work all day long. The work adorned the pavilion of the international exhibition "Expo" in New York in 1964. There were mixed reviews about it. As a result, the paintings were removed. Outraged Keane accused his wife of interfering with his creative realization.
New Horizons
The woman had to work more and more, her husband openly expressed his dissatisfaction with the quality of her paintings. The final parting followed. Margaret moved with her daughter to Hawaii. But even after the divorce, the ex-spouse continued to create and send her works to her husband, so as not to violate the established legend.
This situation persisted until 1986. Keane met sports writer Dan McGuire. A romance began between them. The future spouse did a lot to ensure that the chosen one gains self-confidence. As a result, on the local radio, Margaret told who actually painted the famous paintings.
The artist decided to challenge her authorship in court. The meetings went on for a very long time. However, the judge decided to conduct an experiment. Right in the hall, he invited both sides to draw such familiar characters. Walter immediately refused work, citing injury.
Margaret created a new canvas in less than an hour. The court ruled in her favor. After the proceedings, the fans split into two parties. One reproached the artist for being too timid, the other admired her courage.
Outcomes
In the 2000s, director Tim Burton met the famous artist. He became seriously interested in her story. The result was The Nightmare Before Christmas. Her character Sally has the same huge eyes as the characters in Margaret, and the eccentric Mr. Willie Wonks from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory wears disproportionately large glasses. In addition, Burton became a real fan of the artist's work, becoming the owner of the world's largest collection of her works.
In 2014, the director made a biographical film "Big Eyes" about the artist's life. The main character was played by Amy Lou Adams. The director, famous for his extravagance, placed his heroine in two ages in one of the frames. A young woman is drawing at her easel, and an elderly one is reading a book.
The artist continues to create, despite a very solid age. After parting with the past, the tonal of her works has noticeably changed. The kids don't just start smiling, they laugh and glow with happiness.
The inspiration for the work of the master was given to the animator Craig McCracken. In his animated series The Powerpuff Girls, the main characters are the result of a passion for art. Also one of the characters was the teacher Miss Keane.
