Maud Lewis works lead CA$409,525 Canadian folk art auction

Rare Maud Lewis paintings anchored Miller & Miller Auctions’ Oct. 8 post-war Canadian folk art sale in New Hamburg, Ontario, where all 39 lots sold for CA$409,525 with buyer’s premium. Strong results for Joe Norris, Cyril Hirtle and Conrad Furey underscored demand for rare works with direct provenance.

Why it matters: - The sale shows continued strength in the Canadian post-war folk art market. - Rare works with strong provenance drew aggressive bidding and helped produce a 100% sell-through rate. - The results also reinforce market interest in artists beyond Maud Lewis, including Joe Norris, Cyril Hirtle and Conrad Furey.

What happened: - Miller & Miller Auctions sold 39 lots of post-war Canadian folk art on Oct. 8, 2026, in New Hamburg, Ontario. - The online-only auction realized CA$409,525, including buyer’s premium. - Bidders participated from Canada, the U.S. and Asia through Miller & Miller Live and LiveAuctioneers. - A live video feed from the auction location accompanied the sale. - Every lot sold.

The details: - Maud Lewis’s Model T led the auction at CA$72,600 against a CA$30,000-35,000 estimate. - The painting dates to around 1965 and shows a couple on a springtime drive in a Ford Model T. - The work is signed “Lewis,” comes with a letter of authenticity and was purchased directly from the artist. - The painting stayed in the same family for three generations. - Maud Lewis’s Three Black Cats sold for CA$54,450 against a CA$30,000-35,000 estimate. - The painting dates to the first half of 1965 and shows a mother cat and her kittens beneath cherry blossoms. - The work is signed “Lewis,” includes a letter of authenticity and came from a private Toronto collection. - Joe Norris’s Harbour Sunset brought CA$13,310 against a CA$6,000-9,000 estimate. - The 1988 painting shows a schooner, fishing boats, a winding road and a pink sunset over a Nova Scotia harbour scene. - The signed and dated work was bought directly from Norris in 1988 and passed by descent to the current owner. - Cyril Hirtle’s Man with Lobster Traps realized CA$9,075 against a CA$2,500-3,500 estimate. - The circa-1985 mixed-media work turns a fishing scene upside down around a central fisherman. - The painting was purchased directly from the artist. - Conrad Furey’s Childhood Games sold for CA$7,260 against a CA$2,000-3,000 estimate. - The 1985 Newfoundland scene depicts outport life, including hoop rolling, circle dancing, chopping wood and boating. - The painting carries a Beaverbrook Art Gallery label on the reverse and comes from the Susan Murray Collection. - Phyllis Cosman’s Rose Gardener realized CA$2,299 against a CA$900-1,200 estimate. - Yvon Côté’s carved wood Rooster sold for CA$3,025 against a CA$2,000-3,000 estimate. - Barry Colpitts’s Lady with Birds brought CA$1,573 against a CA$500-700 estimate.

Between the lines: - The auction’s best performers shared a common feature: rarity backed by clear ownership history. - Miller & Miller said several works had stayed in the same families for two or three generations. - The auction house also said Joe Norris and Cyril Hirtle continue to perform well, and that Conrad Furey and Joe Norris have room for further market growth. - That suggests collectors are widening their focus beyond the best-known names in the category.

What's next: - Miller & Miller is planning two upcoming folk art sales: The Potter Mauds in December 2026 and another Post-War Canadian Folk Art auction on Feb. 11, 2027. - The auction house is accepting consignments. - More information is available in the wrap-up video and on the company's website.

The bottom line: - Rare Canadian folk art with strong provenance is still drawing top-dollar results, and Maud Lewis remains the category’s biggest bidding magnet.