Artist
Art Brokerage: American artist Margaret Keane, b.1927 in Tennessee. In the 1960s, Margaret Keane's artwork was sold under the name of her husband, Walter Keane. Walter Keane claimed credit for her work. Conflict over that issue was cited as one of the reasons they divorced. Walter and Margaret's divorce proceedings went all the way to federal court. At the hearing, Margaret challenged Walter to a 'paint-off' and created a painting in front of the judge to prove that she was the artist. Walter declined to paint before the court, citing a sore shoulder. In 1986, the courts sided with her, enabling her to paint under her own name. Her works while living in her husband's shadow tended to depict sad children in a dark setting, but after divorcing, moving to Hawaii her paintings took on a happier, brighter style. Keane is a fixture in popular culture. Some of her well-known fans over the years have included actresses Joan Crawford and Natalie Wood, whom she painted portraits of; filmmaker Tim Burton, who commissioned Keane to paint Lisa Marie; and animator Craig McCracken, whose characters the Powerpuff Girls are based on Keane's 'waifs'; additionally the Girls' schoolteacher is named "Ms. She will be portrayed by Amy Adams in the upcoming Tim Burton film Big Eyes.
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