Lost Maud Lewis painting on display
HALIFAX A recently discovered painting by Maud Lewis is on display, as the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia highlights its collection of the famed folk artist’s works to coincide with the new feature film on her life.
The work — titled Portrait of Eddie Barnes and Ed Murphy, Lobster Fishermen, Bay View, N.S. — was recently found by volunteers sorting through donations to the Mennonite Central Committee Thrift Centre in New Hamburg, Ont.
“We read about it in the newspaper when it was discovered,” said gallery CEO Nancy Noble.
“Because of the release of the film and everything that was going on related to Maud’s life ... I phoned the art gallery that was caring for it after they found it at the thrift shop and asked if we could borrow it for the week for the opening of the film.”
Noble said the timing around the recent find of the painting and the release of the film is “serendipitous” for the gallery, which is home to the largest public collection of Lewis’s work in the world — about 40 pieces including her tiny arts-trewn house.
“A lot of people in Nova Scotia know about Maud but many people in Canada don’t, so I think it’s really a great opportunity to showcase her work and really to extend that to the great work of many Nova Scotia artists,” Noble said.
Lewis, who lived in poverty for most of her life, sold her paintings from her home near Digby, N.S., for as little as $2 and $3. She died in 1970, but her paintings have since sold for up to $22,000.
The painting is to be eventually sold through an online auction to support the Mennonite Central Committee’s relief, development and peace-building work.