SAINT JOHN, NB.- Two rare 1940s period paintings by Nova Scotia folk artist Maud Lewis (Canadian, 1903-1970) were sold at a New Brunswick auction house on March 24, 2024.

Jones Auction House, Saint John, NB, held its 2024 Winter Collection auction on March 10-24, 2024. This auction included six paintings by Nova Scotia artist Maud Lewis, two created in the artist’s early career (1940s) and four from the 1960s.

The 1940s paintings, Winter Sleigh Scene and Skiing at Sandy Cove, were held in a New York estate likely since the late 1940s or early 1950s, and had been in storage until recently. These were part of the same collection of early works sold by the auction house in December 2023.

The 1940s Lewis paintings were estimated to fetch $25,000-$35,000 each. The final sale prices were $90,850 (Winter Sleigh Scene) and $87,400 (Skiing at Sandy Cove).

The other 1960s Lewis paintings in the auction sold for $55,200, $39,100, $21,850, and $20,700.

Artwork by other Atlantic Canadian artists also sold far above their estimated ranges. A 1963 pastel by Saint John artist Miller Gore Brittain sold for $17,250 (est. $9,000-$12,000), a watercolour painting by Nova Scotia artist Thomas Forrestall sold for $4,600 (est. $1,800-$2,500).

“The Atlantic Canadian art market is currently very strong, and work by this region’s artists are sought after by collectors in other parts of Canada and the US,” says auction house owner and director, Caleb Jones.

Maud Lewis (1903-1970) is one of Atlantic Canada’s most well-known artists and one of Canada’s most significant artists of the mid-twentieth century. She created colourful, graphically bold interpretations of the Nova Scotia landscape.

Lewis was born in 1903 in Yarmouth, NS, moved in the 1930s to Digby County, NS. She had a prolific and consistent painting career throughout the 1950s and 1960s. A collection of her work is on permanent view at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS. Lewis and her work have been the subject of numerous books, documentaries, and national and international touring exhibitions. In 2016, Lewis was depicted in the 2016 feature film, "Maudie," starring Ethan Hawke and Sally Hawkins.