Maud Lewis overcame so much and become one of Canada’s greatest folk artists

On my road trip to Digby, Nova Scotia, I visited the grave of one of Canada’s greatest folk painters, Maud Lewis.

After a great deal of navigation, I arrived at a small cemetery along the roadside called North Range Cemetery, about 25 kilometres northeast of downtown Digby.

Because of her small stature, Maud was buried in a child’s coffin and, owing to her lifelong poverty, was laid to rest in a pauper’s grave. However, I was pleased to discover that her resting place is now properly marked with a black granite monument provided by the Municipality of Digby. A bench has also been installed nearby, where I sat and reflected on the remarkable life of this extraordinary woman.

Maud, who developed severe rheumatoid arthritis at a young age, answered an advertisement placed by Everett Lewis seeking a housekeeper. Initially, he turned her away because of her physical deformities. When no other applicants appeared, however, he reconsidered. The two eventually married.

According to many accounts, the marriage was difficult. Everett was often verbally abusive, exploited Maud’s artistic talents, lived with extreme frugality, and limited her social interactions with neighbours. Despite the pain and limitations caused by her arthritis, she was expected to produce paintings continually, helping to support their household.

Maudie is a 2016 biographical drama film starring Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke.

Maud’s artistic journey began in childhood when she and her mother painted Christmas cards to sell during the holiday season. Her distinctive style featured bright, vibrant colours applied directly from the tube rather than mixed on a palette. Nearly every surface became her canvas. She painted on wooden boards, baking sheets, and any other material she could find. Even the walls, doors, and windows of her one room tiny house were covered with cheerful images, transforming it into a work of art in its own right.

During her lifetime, Maud sold her paintings for modest amounts, typically ranging from $2 to $3 when she started, and eventually rising to around $5 to $10 by the late 1960s. Today, her original works are highly coveted and command between $10,000 to $30,000.  The highest price ever paid for a Maud Lewis painting is $350,000 (CAD), a record set in 2022 for a 1967 piece titled “Black Truck”.

See my related visit to the graves of other great Canadian painters- the Group of Seven 

Six members of the Group of Seven resting peacefully by slabs of granite quarried from the “artists’ beloved north country”