Part I: Joan the Artist

ABOVE:  Self-portrait, 1938.

BELOW: In 1948, Joan joined dozens of fellow celebrities to personally create a painting to benefit the Urban League. Below are three shots of her creating her piece and three with the finished work, followed by the painting itself, which is now part of the personal collection of Jennifer Sturcke. See also a 2011 article about the Urban League event on the Museum of the City of New York blog. The photographs of Joan were all taken by future director Stanley Kubrick, then a 20-year-old on assignment for Look magazine.

Part II: Art Inspired by Joan

One indication of a true icon is the desire of artists, both contemporary and latter-day, to re-create her image. Joan Crawford began inspiring works of art almost immediately upon her arrival in Hollywood in the 1920s; since then interest in her, and her image, has not waned. Below is a sampling of works of art inspired by Joan Crawford, ranging from the 1920s to the present. (Move your pointer over a picture for more information. Click on a picture to see the larger image and/or to find out more about the artist.)

During Joan's Lifetime          Posthumous

During Joan's Lifetime

Posthumous (post-1977)

Legal Note: Per the Fair Use clause of Section 107 of the amended Copyright Act of 1976 (17 USC Section 107), images on this site are intended solely for non-profit educational purposes, to provide researchers and general readers with information about Joan Crawford's life and career. Sources for photos of artworks have been credited when known. If you're the owner of any unintentionally uncredited information, or an artist who'd like your Joan Crawford image presented here, please e-mail me.