A painting of two black cats by a Nova Scotian with the last name Lewis recently sold for about $18,000 at auction.
But it wasn’t a painting by Maud Lewis, it was a work by her husband, Everett Lewis.
While Maud Lewis’ paintings routinely sell for tens of thousands of dollars, growing interest in some other popular Nova Scotia artists means their works now sell for thousands of dollars.
That includes Everett Lewis, who has traditionally been better known for forging his wife’s work than his originals, which bear a striking resemblance to Maud’s style.
At a recent auction in Saint John, an Everett Lewis painting that was expected to sell for around $4,500 ended up selling for $18,400.
“He’s more infamous than famous. People have mixed reactions and certainly his name causes a lot of controversy,” said Ethan Miller, chief executive of Miller & Miller, an auction house in New Hamburg, Ont.
“But at the end of the day, many folk art collectors would agree that his work has a certain charm. In its own right, it is or appears to be from the heart.”
Miller is not surprised by the price the Everett Lewis painting sold for. In fact, he said it’s a sign of growing interest in Nova Scotia and Canadian folk art.
At a recent Miller & Miller auction, a painting by Nova Scotian Joe Norris that was expected to sell for between $9,000 and $12,000 sold for $23,600.
Norris was a fisherman who turned to painting after a heart attack, Miller said.
“Folk art is as much about the artists as it is about the art,” said Miller, who sold another Morris painting for $30,680 in February 2024.
There is no single reason behind the rise in value of some works of Nova Scotia folk art, but Miller pegs the turning point at 2022, when a Maud Lewis painting once traded for a grilled cheese sandwich sold for $350,000 at auction.
He said the sale brought more attention to folk art, but the timing also coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In an uncertain world and in a world full of chaos and uncertainty, these paintings definitely bring a certain kind of light, a certain kind of optimism and a certain kind of honesty to the world,” Miller said.
Sarah Jones is co-owner and curator of Jones Auction House in Saint John, the auction house that recently sold the Everett Lewis painting for $18,400. She believes the growing interest in folk art is due to several things.
Jones said that when there are fluctuations in financial markets or global turbulence, art is considered a stable investment.
Another is that when an artist’s work attracts a lot of attention (like Maud Lewis), it has a spillover effect.
“That lets them discover other Nova Scotia artists, other New Brunswick artists,” Jones told CBC. Information Tomorrow San Juan.
Jones said the auction featuring the $18,400 Everett Lewis painting also sold works by other Atlantic Canadian artists for much more than expected.
This included a watercolor by New Brunswick artist David McKay that sold for $24,150, despite having an estimated retail value of between $1,200 and $1,500. A cake by Newfoundland artist Mary Pratt sold for $9,200, compared to an estimate of $3,000 to $5,000.
“There have certainly been artists in Atlantic Canada, like, for example, Alex Colville or the Pratts. [Christopher and Mary]have had the recognition they deserve, but there are many other artists as well who deserve our attention and praise,” Jones said.
MORE TOP STORIES
