An iconic "Big Eyes" painting by Margaret D. H. Keane offered at Worth Auctions on Nov. 27 fetched over $12,500. The price marks the artist's second-highest price on record at auction.
Keane's distinctive portraits of waiflike children became phenomenally popular during the 1960s, although all of the fame and fortune went to her husband, Walter, who signed his name to her paintings and passed them off as his own. In 2014, Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz starred in the film “Big Eyes,” an award-winning biopic that chronicled the couple's troubled relationship and Margaret's eventual triumph in a dramatic courtroom paint-off.
Other strong results from the fine art department included $5,400 for a post-cubist still life painting by Claude Venard; $1,900 for Kathe Kollwitz's famous 1928 woodcut “Maria und Elisabeth”; and $1,150 for a whimsical hand/foot sculpture by the celebrated Mexican artist and furniture designer Pedro Friedeberg.
The sale also showcased an extensive collection of jewelry and gemstones, led by three GIA-certified loose diamonds that brought in more than $8,700.
Held live at the galleries at Worth Asset Brokerage in Freeville, N.Y., other items included antique and vintage guitars, art glass, and porcelain.
For additional information, call Evan D. Williams, AAA, director of fine art and special collections, at 607-279-0607 or email evan@worthauctions.com.