keane

Joan was an art lover. Who isn’t? Art binds everyone, and it speaks a universal language that we can all understand.

Artists loved Joan, too. Ever since her arrival in Hollywood in the 20s, she has become a beautiful subject of various paintings, sculptures, and caricatures. One of these artists is an American painter named Margaret Keane.

Margaret loved to paint women and children with big eyes, which eventually became her trademark. These paintings are hauntingly amazing, and our Joanie was one of those who were mesmerized. In fact, she commissioned Margaret to make her portrait…

…and she also owned four Keane paintings:

She adored Margaret’s portrait of her, and it’s evident in these two pictures:

(In 1963, posing with the painting, her awards (one being the Oscar award for Mildred Pierce), and special pepsi bottles)

(In 1971, with her puppies)

Margaret spoke kindly of Joan. In an interview with Vulture.com, she said:

Joan Crawford was an extremely good friend. In the beginning, when she thought Walter did the paintings, we were unknown artists, she promoted us. Our first show in New York, she sponsored it. She invited the people, she got the press there she did it all. I can’t believe that she was such a bad mother! I don’t know if it was true or not, but she was certainly good to me.

Just last year, Margaret’s story was made into a movie (Big Eyes, directed by Tim Burton), which exposed the truth about her former husband Walter’s wrongdoings. Joan was even showed in one scene: