Maud Lewis Leads CA$497,733 Canadian Folk Art Sale

Miller & Miller Auctions’ June 11 Post-War Canadian Folk Art sale in New Hamburg, Ontario, brought in CA$497,733.50 with a 100% sell-through rate. Two Maud Lewis paintings topped the auction as collectors kept bidding on fresh-to-market works with strong provenance. Why it matters: - The sale showed continued demand for post-war Canadian folk art, especially pieces with iconic imagery and strong ownership history. - A 100% sell-through rate and heavy bidding across multiple artists pointed to broad collector confidence in the category. - The results reinforced Maud Lewis’s position as a market anchor for Canadian folk art. What happened: - Miller & Miller Auctions held the Post-War Canadian Folk Art auction on June 11, 2026, in an online-only format. - The 72-lot sale realized CA$497,733.50, including buyer’s premium. - The auction drew 319 registered bidders and 2,620 bids. - Bidding ran through Miller & Miller Live and LiveAuctioneers, with a live video feed on the firm’s website. The details: - Lot 37, Maud Lewis’s Three Black Cats, led the sale at CA$54,450 against a CA$30,000–35,000 estimate. - The 1967 painting was given as a Christmas gift and stayed in the recipient’s family for nearly six decades. - Lot 38, Maud Lewis’s White Cat, brought CA$45,375 against a CA$25,000–30,000 estimate. - The mid-1960s painting features Lewis’s cat “Fluffy” among tulips and flowering shrubs. - The White Cat work was bought directly from Maud Lewis by Marion Dace of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and included a John H. Kinnear painting. - Lot 19, Joseph Sleep’s Symbiosis of Creatures, Land and Sea, sold for CA$19,360, more than tripling its CA$4,000–6,000 estimate. - The Joseph Sleep work set an auction record for the artist. - Lot 28, Joe Norris’s Prospect Bay, reached CA$14,520 against a CA$9,000–12,000 estimate. - The 1983 coastal scene reflects Norris’s mature maritime style. - Lot 59, Angus Trudeau’s Norgoma, realized CA$13,310. - The circa-1980 work came from the personal collection of Canadian artist Alex Cameron, who bought it directly from Trudeau. - Lot 51, Yvon Côté’s painted wood Rooster, sold for CA$12,100 against a CA$2,500–3,000 estimate. - Lot 1, Maud Lewis’s Sleighing Scene Christmas Card, opened the sale at CA$9,075. - The postcard-sized watercolor was purchased directly from Lewis and passed down through the family. - Lot 21, Cyril Hirtle’s Big Catch also sold for CA$9,075. - The marine scene was purchased directly from the artist. - All prices include the buyer’s premium and are in Canadian dollars. Between the lines: - Fresh-to-market examples kept drawing attention, especially when paired with direct-from-artist or long-held family provenance. - The strongest results came from works with clear visual identity, recognizable subjects and documented history. - The record price for Joseph Sleep suggests the market is also rewarding artists beyond the best-known names. What’s next: - Miller & Miller’s next Post-War Canadian Folk Art auction is scheduled for October 8, 2026. - The auction house also has several sales ahead, including Luxury Watches on June 24, Advertising & Petroliana in September, and Canadiana on October 10. - Miller & Miller is accepting consignments for future auctions through its website, email and phone line. The bottom line: - The June sale confirmed that Canadian folk art remains a strong niche when the material is scarce, visually distinctive and well documented. - Maud Lewis again set the pace, but the auction also showed room for other artists to outperform estimates by wide margins.