Maud Lewis Paintings Lead CA$409,525 Post-War Canadian Folk Art Auction

Rare Maud Lewis works headline a 39-lot sale achieving a 100% sell-through rate, with strong results for Joe Norris, Cyril Hirtle and Conrad Furey.

NEW HAMBURG, ONTARIO, CANADA, October 16, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Two rare paintings by Maud Lewis; a richly detailed Nova Scotia harbour scene by Joe Norris; and important works by Cyril Hirtle and Conrad Furey led Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd.’s Post-War Canadian Folk Art auction on October 8, 2026. The focused 39-lot sale realized CA$409,525, including buyer’s premium, with every lot sold.

The online-only auction attracted bidders from Canada, the US and Asia through Miller & Miller Live and LiveAuctioneers. A live video feed from the auction location accompanied the sale, which brought together a carefully curated selection of Canadian folk art, with an emphasis on rarity, provenance and works that had remained in private collections for generations.

All prices quoted include the buyer’s premium and are in Canadian dollars.

Leading the auction was Lot 22, Maud Lewis’s Model T, which realized CA$72,600 against an estimate of CA$30,000–35,000. Painted around 1965, the cheerful scene depicts a couple enjoying a springtime drive, drawing on memories of Lewis’s early married life with her husband, Everett. When the couple met in 1938, Everett owned an old Ford Model T and regularly took Maud along as he travelled from village to village selling fish. The painting is a serial image Lewis produced in the late 1950s and 1960s, during the period when her work began attracting national attention. Signed “Lewis” and accompanied by a letter of authenticity, the painting was purchased directly from the artist and remained in the same family for three generations, offering exceptional provenance.

Another major result came from Lot 1, Three Black Cats by Maud Lewis, which sold for CA$54,450 against an estimate of CA$30,000–35,000. Painted in the first half of 1965, the vibrant composition depicts a proud mother cat and her kittens beneath cherry blossoms, with the high horizon characteristic of Lewis’s work. The serial image is known from the middle to late 1960s, and comparable examples appear in Ray Cronin’s Our Maud: The Life, Art and Legacy of Maud Lewis. Signed “Lewis” and accompanied by a letter of authenticity, the painting came from a private Toronto collection after being purchased from Mayberry Fine Art in 2013.

“It's nice to see some of the rarer Mauds being recognized,” said Aki Ohtsuka, Consignment Director for Folk Art at Miller & Miller Auctions. “Some of the examples in this sale had been held by the same family for two or three generations. The Maud Lewis market remains very strong, and works with this kind of history continue to attract considerable attention.”

Lot 19, Joe Norris’s Harbour Sunset, achieved CA$13,310 against an estimate of CA$6,000–9,000, demonstrating the strength of bidding for the artist’s work beyond his larger compositions. Painted in 1988, the richly detailed coastal scene features a schooner under full sail, fishing boats at the wharves and small figures moving along a winding hillside road. Norris’s distinctive pink sunset, wisps of smoke rising from chimneys and a procession of gulls along the rocks bring the harbour to life. Signed and dated, the painting was purchased directly from the artist in 1988 and passed by descent to the current owner.

Lot 14, Cyril Hirtle’s Man with Lobster Traps, realized CA$9,075 against an estimate of CA$2,500–3,500. Executed around 1985, the unconventional mixed-media painting turns a familiar fishing scene on its head, with boats, oars and bundles appearing upside down around the central fisherman. Hirtle’s signature establishes the intended orientation, highlighting the artist’s distinctive approach to perspective, scale and narrative. Purchased directly from the artist, the work exemplifies the unusual compositions that make his paintings so sought after.

Lot 24, Conrad Furey’s Childhood Games, sold for CA$7,260 against an estimate of CA$2,000–3,000. Painted in 1985, the expansive Newfoundland scene brings together the games, chores and everyday pastimes of outport life, from hoop rolling and circle dancing to chopping wood, boating and playing along the shoreline. Drawing on memories of growing up in Baie Verte, Furey creates a richly observed portrait of community life. The painting bears a Beaverbrook Art Gallery label on the reverse and comes from the Susan Murray Collection.

Other results included Lot 17, Phyllis Cosman’s Rose Gardener, a finely detailed painted wood figure that realized CA$2,299 against an estimate of CA$900–1,200; and Lot 4, Yvon Côté’s carved wood Rooster, which sold for CA$3,025 against an estimate of CA$2,000–3,000. Lot 18, Barry Colpitts’s Lady with Birds, brought CA$1,573 against an estimate of CA$500–700, with its bold colours and geometric forms reflecting the artist’s distinctive style.

“The general theme of this sale was rarity,” Ohtsuka said. “We were offering many scarce pieces, and demand was exceptionally high; the results reflected that. Joe Norris and Cyril Hirtle continue to perform well, and we see Conrad Furey and Joe Norris as artists with substantial potential for continued market growth. Their artistic contributions are significant, and we believe the market has yet to fully reflect their importance within the Canadian folk art tradition.”

The October 8 results reaffirm the strength of the Canadian post-war folk art market, particularly for rare works with compelling histories and direct artist provenance. To view a wrap-up video highlighting the sale, visit https://youtu.be/wrt7TZ2cmiY.

Upcoming Auctions at Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd.:
December 2026: The Potter Mauds
February 11, 2027: Post-War Canadian Folk Art

Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. is Canada’s trusted seller of high-value collections, specializing in watches, art, antiques and high-value collectibles. The firm is always accepting quality consignments and provides collectors with a trusted place to buy and sell.

For consignment inquiries, call (519) 625-4173, email aki@millerandmillerauctions.com, or visit www.millerandmillerauctions.com.

Aki Ohtsuka
Miller & Miller Auctions
aki@millerandmillerauctions.com