NEW HAMBURG, Canada – A group of 11 original paintings by the acclaimed Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis (1903-1980) sold for a combined $559,510 in an online-only Canadiana & Folk Art auction held October 8 by Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. Overall, 344 lots came up for bid in the sale, which grossed a robust $871,695. All figures quoted are in Canadian dollars.

Of the 11 Maud Lewis paintings in the auction, Winter Sleigh Ride was an expected top earner, with an estimate of $20,000-$25,000. It ended up selling for $100,300. The signed, circa-1955 mixed media on beaverboard was a delightful and early Christmas season scene, similar to a later image used for a series of Canadian postage stamps.

Maud Lewis was one of Canada’s most renowned artists, the subject of numerous monographs, novels, plays, documentaries and even a feature film. She was born into relative comfort and obscurity, and died in poverty, though she enjoyed national fame. She overcame severe physical challenges to create a unique artistic style and sparked a boom in folk art in her home province.

Though she rarely left her tiny house, Lewis’s works have traveled around the world, and in the decades since her death she has become an iconic figure – a symbol of Nova Scotia, and a beloved character in the popular imagination. She painted many different vehicles that were part of her life; black was her color of choice.

A circa-1975 oil-on-panel harbor scene by the late master folk artist Joe Norris (1924-1996), titled Lower Prospect (the town in Nova Scotia where Norris spent most of his life), signed and titled at the lower left, realized $7,080. Also, an oil-on-board rendering of flowers by another Nova Scotia master, Joe Sleep (1914-1978), brought $6,490. Sleep learned to draw while hospitalized in Halifax.

A circa-1930 mixed media diorama by Adelard Brousseau of Quebec, titled Maple Sugar Time, finished at $10,620. It was a wonderful rendition of a traditional Quebec rural scene. Brousseau completed the diorama by meticulously carving the figures one by one, as well as the tools and animals in the scene.

A 1998 acrylic on paper by Canadian Woodland artist Norval Morrisseau (1932-2007), titled Ancestral Visitor, brought together many spiritually-charged elements. The signed work earned $11,800.

To learn more about Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. and the firm’s slate of upcoming auction events, please visit www.millerandmillerauctions.com.

[av_button label=’Click to view the auction catalog complete with prices realized’ icon_select=’no’ icon=’ue800′ font=’entypo-fontello’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/262093_canadiana-and-folk-art/?keyword=&page=1′ link_target=’_blank’ size=’small’ position=’center’ label_display=” title_attr=” size-text=” av-desktop-font-size-text=” av-medium-font-size-text=” av-small-font-size-text=” av-mini-font-size-text=” margin=” margin_sync=’true’ padding=” padding_sync=’true’ av-desktop-margin=” av-desktop-margin_sync=’true’ av-desktop-padding=” av-desktop-padding_sync=’true’ av-medium-margin=” av-medium-margin_sync=’true’ av-medium-padding=” av-medium-padding_sync=’true’ av-small-margin=” av-small-margin_sync=’true’ av-small-padding=” av-small-padding_sync=’true’ av-mini-margin=” av-mini-margin_sync=’true’ av-mini-padding=” av-mini-padding_sync=’true’ color_options=” color=’theme-color’ custom_bg=’#444444′ custom_font=’#ffffff’ btn_color_bg=’theme-color’ btn_custom_grad_direction=’vertical’ btn_custom_grad_1=’#000000′ btn_custom_grad_2=’#ffffff’ btn_custom_grad_3=” btn_custom_grad_opacity=’0.7′ btn_custom_bg=’#444444′ btn_color_bg_hover=’theme-color-highlight’ btn_custom_bg_hover=’#444444′ btn_color_font=’theme-color’ btn_custom_font=’#ffffff’ btn_color_font_hover=’white’ btn_custom_font_hover=’#ffffff’ border=” border_width=” border_width_sync=’true’ border_color=” border_radius=” border_radius_sync=’true’ box_shadow=” box_shadow_style=’0px,0px,0px,0px’ box_shadow_color=” animation=” animation_duration=” animation_custom_bg_color=” animation_z_index_curtain=’100′ hover_opacity=” sonar_effect_effect=” sonar_effect_color=” sonar_effect_duration=’1′ sonar_effect_scale=” sonar_effect_opac=’0.5′ css_position=” css_position_location=’,,,’ css_position_z_index=” av-desktop-css_position=” av-desktop-css_position_location=’,,,’ av-desktop-css_position_z_index=” av-medium-css_position=” av-medium-css_position_location=’,,,’ av-medium-css_position_z_index=” av-small-css_position=” av-small-css_position_location=’,,,’ av-small-css_position_z_index=” av-mini-css_position=” av-mini-css_position_location=’,,,’ av-mini-css_position_z_index=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-94j7cjh’ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”]

View top auction results on LiveAuctioneers here: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/pages/recent-auction-sales/