Authentic Oil Painting on Panel "Big Eyes" Beautiful Young Girl With Siamese Cat by Margaret Keane, 1980

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An original and authentic oil on panel portrait painting of a beautiful young girl and her cat by American artist … Read more An original and authentic oil on panel portrait painting of a beautiful young girl and her cat by American artist Margaret Hawkins Keane (1927-2022). Signed and dated, complete with certificate of authenticity and original sales invoice from 1980.

The painting portrays a lovely doe-eyed little girl with long dark hair and wearing a red Gingham dress. She is depicted lovingly holding her pet Siamese cat, the animal is also painted with Keane's signature big eyes. The painting is signed and dated upper left "MDH Keane 1980", the painting is also signed and dedicated by the artist to the verso. Oil paint on artist's board and housed in the original gilded frame.
The painting was acquired directly from Keane in her Hawaiian gallery on Kalakaua Ave in 1980, the same year the work was painted, it is in excellent condition and is ready to hang on your wall.

Artist's Biography
Margaret Keane (born Peggy Doris Hawkins; September 15, 1927 – June 26, 2022) was a prominent American artist world-renowned for creating the distinct "Big Eyes" paintings featuring subjects with oversized, soulful eyes. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Margaret began drawing as a young child. She moved to San Francisco in the 1950s, where her striking portraits of melancholic children, women, and animals quickly captured the public's imagination and grew into a massive commercial phenomenon. Her work achieved unparalleled commercial success via mass-produced prints, postcards, and plates sold globally.
During the height of her success in the 1950s and 1960s, her second husband, Walter Keane, falsely claimed credit for her work. He marketed himself as the artist while keeping Margaret hidden away, forcing her to paint in isolation for up to 16 hours a day. After divorcing Walter in 1965, Margaret publicly revealed the truth in 1970. The dispute culminated in a famous 1986 courtroom "paint-off", ordered by a federal judge in Hawaii. While Walter refused to paint due to an alleged shoulder injury, Margaret completed a signature big-eyed child painting in under an hour, legally reclaiming her authorship and identity. Following her legal victory and her move to Hawaii, her painting themes shifted significantly from dark, weeping waifs to brighter, more hopeful subjects. Her life story was adapted by director Tim Burton into the critically acclaimed 2014 movie "Big Eyes". See less