Margaret Keane, who created distinctive paintings of doe-eyed children, passed away over the weekend at her home in Napa.
For years, they were impossible to miss — the images of the doleful, sad-eyed children seemingly hanging everywhere, from museums to discount stores. Though art critics were unimpressed, Americans rushed to cash registers to buy the artwork.
As the paintings sold — eventually by the millions — Keane’s husband Walter stepped forward and took credit for the art. A former real estate agent with a big personality and a gift for showmanship, he appeared on television shows, made the rounds at galleries from New York to L.A. and dutifully signed each painting with a simple “Keane.” If anyone bothered to ask, he described his wife as a struggling amateur.
Keane filed a defamation suit against her former husband for claiming credit for her work and her attorney arranged a paint-off while jurors looked on. In less than an hour, she dashed off a perfectly executed child with baleful eyes. Walter Keane, complaining that he had a sore shoulder, didn’t lift his brush. She was awarded $4 million in damages, though he died in 2000 before paying the judgment.
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