# Margaret Keane artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/margaret-keane/
Profile generated: 2026-05-24T05:06:52.007Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Nationality: American
- Movements: Big Eyes art (distinctive figurative style, not a formal movement)
- Common media: Oil painting, Mixed media, Lithographic prints, Drawing, Sculpture

## About Margaret Keane

Margaret Keane (1927–2022) was an American painter celebrated for her distinctive portraits of figures with oversized, soulful eyes. Working primarily in oil and mixed media, she depicted women, children, and animals rendered in a sentimental, immediately recognizable style that found broad popular appeal in the mid-twentieth century. Her images were reproduced widely on prints, plates, and other consumer goods. For years her work was publicly credited to her then-husband, Walter Keane, until she successfully reclaimed authorship in a 1986 federal court proceeding in Hawaii, where she demonstrated her technique live. The Keane Eyes Gallery continues to represent her authorized estate and offers original paintings, drawings, sculptures, and limited-edition prints.

## Common works and media

Keane produced original oil paintings and mixed-media works on canvas and paper, typically depicting wide-eyed women, children, and animals. Signed and open-edition lithographic prints, posters, and limited-edition reproductions are common in the secondary market. Sculptural editions, pendants, handbags, scarves, dolls, and illustrated books were also produced under her authorized brand. Collectors most frequently encounter mid-century vintage prints, later signed limited editions, and decorative objects featuring her imagery.

## Market and appraisal context

Margaret Keane's market spans original oil paintings, works on paper, signed limited-edition lithographs, and a large volume of mass-produced reproductions. Original paintings with confirmed attribution and documented provenance are the most sought-after category. Collectors should be aware of the historical misattribution to Walter Keane, which affects older labels and some auction records. Signed prints and limited editions from the Keane Eyes Gallery carry clearer provenance. Mass-market items such as posters, plates, and decorative objects are generally not investment-grade. Condition, signature, edition size, and documented provenance are the primary factors in any appraisal.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine artist identity research from authority files, museum records, and library catalogs with auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Margaret Keane, identity data is grounded in Getty ULAN, VIAF, Wikidata, the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, and the artist's authorized Keane Eyes Gallery.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5402192
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Keane
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500333900
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/125096410/
- RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/296851
- Margaret Keane: https://www.keane-eyes.com