Bidding for Maud Lewis painting rockets past $125,000
It only took a few days for a rare painting with a New Hamburg connection to blow past the record price for a Maud Lewis painting — but the sudden spike has Mennonite Central Committee warily double-checking the bids’ authenticity before celebrating.
The painting, discovered at the New Hamburg Thrift Centre, went up for auction April 20 to raise funds for MCC. The painting’s price reached almost $19,000 within 24 hours.
Then, bidding really took off. On Friday afternoon, a series of back-andforth bids from perspective buyers pushed the price to $125,208, where it still sat on Monday afternoon.
“We have to do our due diligence,” said Sheryl Bruggeling, communications and events co-ordinator for MCC Ontario.
The organization’s staff members are currently following up on the top bids to make sure they’re legitimate.
“As you can imagine, we are thrilled with the current bid. We are fairly certain they are valid bids, but we’re in the process of qualifying the buyers.”
The small, colourful painting by Maud Lewis was discovered in a donation bin at the New Hamburg Thrift Centre earlier in 2016, and is now being auctioned to raise money for Mennonite Central Committee.
The previous high price for a Maud Lewis painting was $22,500, for a painting sold earlier in 2017. In previous years, other Lewis originals had gone for $22,000 and $16,100.
Art appraisers had given this one an estimated value of $16,000.
Titled “Portrait of Eddie Barnes and Ed Murphy, Lobster Fishermen, Bay View, N.S.”, is painted on a 11-inch by 13-inch piece of beaverboard, a type of pulp board.
Lewis is a well-known Canadian folk artist, who painted despite severe arthritis and lived in poverty in rural Nova Scotia. She died in 1970, before receiving fame or fortune for her work.
The bidding ends May 19 at 9 p.m. To see the latest tally or to bid, go to 32auctions.com/maud-lewis-painting