Big Eyes: The Style of Margaret Keane

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Advanced art critics — people who study art for a living — can look at a work of art and tell you in just a few seconds where it came from, the period in which it was produced, and even sometimes who produced it.

They don't have secret powers any more than you or I. They look at many features of a painting or other work, such as the materials used to produce it, the artist's signature, and the painting style.

This last feature, style, is the set of characteristics that recur in an artist's work. For some artists, their style is so distinctive, so unique, that you know instantly that a work belongs to them.

One such artist is Margaret Keane. Keane is not only an accomplished pop artist, but she has also, like many artists, lived a fascinating and sometimes troubled life.

Margaret Keane was an American artist best known for her paintings of figures with large, expressive eyes—often children. These “big-eyed” subjects became her signature style, making her work instantly recognizable.

Although her artwork became extremely popular in the 1960s, many people believed her husband, Walter Keane, was the artist. He sold her paintings and took credit for them, while Margaret continued to paint in secret.

Over time, his behavior became controlling and abusive, and she was forced to work constantly while he claimed fame and success.

Eventually, Margaret found the courage to leave him. In 1970, she publicly revealed that she was the true artist behind the paintings. Years later, she proved it in court by recreating one of her paintings before a judge, winning a legal case against her ex-husband.

Margaret Keane’s story highlights the challenges women faced in the art world, especially during the 1950s and 1960s, when men were more likely to receive recognition and credibility for artistic work.

Write down information and ideas to answer the following questions.

• What features are Keane's works most known for?
• What hardships did Keane have to face and overcome in order to rise to success?
• What does the story of Margaret Keane show about the challenges women faced in the art world of the 1950s, and maybe in our own day?

After finding those answers, consider these questions.

• What do you think is the relationship between an artist's biography and his or her art?
• Do you need to know something about an artist's life in order to understand his or her art? Why or why not?

Comparing one artist's work with another can help us grasp their unique style features.

In the Got It? section, you will compare and contrast Margaret Keane's portrait painting alongside the portraits of one of the most well-known artists of all time, Rembrandt.