Leo Martínez
Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis (1903-1970) lived most of her life in poverty and constant physical pain due to rheumatoid arthritis. Despite these challenges, she painted prolifically, selling her cheerful works from her home in Marshalltown, Nova Scotia, for as little as $2 to $5. In the 1960s, Lewis gained national recognition, and US President Richard Nixon commissioned two paintings for the White House. Lewis' works are now displayed at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, and her restored house, whose walls she adorned with her art, can be visited in Halifax.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of paintings owned by Richard Nixon | 2 |
| Subject matter | Landscapes, animals, and flowers |
| Medium | Oil on pulpboard |
| Style | Folk art |
| Themes | Nostalgia and optimism |
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What You'll Learn
Maud Lewis' life and her art
Maud Lewis, born Maud Kathleen Dowley, was a Canadian folk artist from Nova Scotia. She was born in 1903 in South Ohio, Nova Scotia, and passed away in 1970. She spent most of her life in poverty and constant physical pain. Lewis suffered from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which left her body and hands deformed. She also had an unknown condition that made her small in stature, with sloping shoulders, her chin resting on her chest, and a crooked gait. As a child, she spent most of her time alone, feeling uncomfortable around other children due to her physical differences.
Lewis was introduced to art by her mother, who taught her to make and sell watercolour Christmas cards. She began her artistic career by selling these hand-painted cards, which proved popular with her future husband Everett Lewis's customers when he was a fish peddler. Lewis married Everett in 1938, and they lived in a small house in Marshalltown, Nova Scotia. She painted on various surfaces, including walls, doors, breadboxes, and even the stove, filling their tiny home with art. Lewis also sold her paintings to visitors who stopped by their home on Highway No. 1, Nova Scotia's main highway and tourist route.
Despite her physical limitations and the challenges of living in poverty, Lewis persevered with her art. Her paintings depicted cheerful and nostalgic scenes of landscapes, animals, and flowers, reflecting her surroundings with humour and affection. She gained national recognition in the 1960s, and her work caught the attention of then-President Richard Nixon, who commissioned two paintings from her. Lewis's art has been celebrated through various films, plays, and books, and her work is now displayed at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, along with her restored house, adorned with her artwork.
Maud Lewis's life and art are a testament to her resilience and determination. Despite the adversity she faced, she found joy in her painting, transforming her simple surroundings into lush and exuberant works of art. Her intuitive style and optimistic vision of her native province have made her one of Canada's most celebrated folk artists.
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Lewis' unique style
Maud Lewis was a Canadian folk artist from Nova Scotia who lived most of her life in poverty and constant physical pain due to rheumatoid arthritis. Despite these challenges, she developed a unique and instantly recognisable artistic style that brought her national recognition.
Lewis' paintings are characterised by their vivid colours and simple forms, conveying a sense of joy and optimism to viewers. She was a prolific painter, using whatever materials she had at hand, including house and boat paint. She painted on various surfaces such as wood panels, boards, pulp boards (beaverboards), cookie sheets, and Masonite. Her subjects often included cheerful landscapes, animals, and flowers, offering a nostalgic and optimistic vision of her native province.
One distinctive aspect of Lewis' style is the absence of shadows in her work. Her paintings "glow with a simplicity that is suited to the rural scene—no shades or shadows," as described by Murray Barnard in a Star Weekly feature. This unique style may be attributed to her physical limitations and isolation, allowing her to create art that was authentically her own.
Animals are a prominent feature in Lewis' paintings, often appearing as part of rural life scenes. Horses, dogs, cows, chickens, birds, deer, and cats are among the creatures that populate her artwork. In her later works, Lewis began to present animals almost as portraits, with frontal views of cats and oxen sitting in shallow spaces and looking directly at the viewer.
Lewis' art has been described as a tool of resilience, transforming her simple surroundings into lush and exuberant scenes. Her work continues to inspire and is displayed at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, along with her restored house, which she had adorned with her vibrant paintings.
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Her rise to fame
Maud Lewis, born Maud Kathleen Dowley in 1903, lived most of her life in poverty and constant physical pain due to rheumatoid arthritis. She was a self-taught artist who, despite her physical limitations, painted prolifically on various surfaces, including Christmas cards, pulp boards, cookie sheets, Masonite, walls, doors, bread boxes, and even her stove. She sold her paintings door-to-door and from her home, achieving national recognition in the 1960s for her cheerful and nostalgic depictions of landscapes, animals, and flowers.
Lewis's rise to fame began with her dedication to her art, selling her paintings and hand-painted Christmas cards locally. Her husband, Everett Lewis, whom she married in 1938, encouraged her art, and they sold her paintings together as he peddled fish door-to-door. Lewis's art gained wider attention in 1964 and 1965, when she achieved national recognition for her unique style and subject matter. This recognition led to increased interest in her work, and her paintings began to sell for higher prices, a stark contrast to the $2 to $3 she earned during her lifetime.
A significant boost to Lewis's fame came from media coverage. In 1965, a CBC documentary and a feature in the Toronto Star brought her life and art into the national spotlight. This media attention caught the eye of then-American President Richard Nixon, who commissioned two paintings from her, further elevating her profile.
The release of the 2016 biopic "Maudie," starring Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke, also played a crucial role in Lewis's posthumous fame. The film, set and filmed in Nova Scotia, received critical acclaim and became a surprise hit, selling out theatres in her home province. The discovery of a long-lost painting in a thrift store further fuelled interest in Lewis's life and work, with the painting auctioned off for charity, receiving bids upwards of C$125,000.
Today, Lewis is celebrated as one of Canada's most renowned folk artists. Her works are displayed at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, and her restored house, adorned with her art, is also on permanent display in Halifax. Her perseverance and determination to create art, despite the challenges she faced, continue to inspire and capture the imagination of people worldwide.
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The paintings Nixon commissioned
Maud Lewis was a Canadian folk artist from Nova Scotia who lived most of her life in poverty in a small house in Marshalltown, Nova Scotia. Despite her challenging circumstances, she achieved national recognition in 1964 and 1965 for her cheerful paintings of landscapes, animals, and flowers, which offered a nostalgic and optimistic vision of her native province.
Former American President Richard Nixon took notice of Lewis's work and commissioned two paintings from her. Lewis agreed to the commission on the condition that Nixon pay in advance, which he did. This is perhaps unsurprising, as Lewis's world existed within a sixty-mile radius of her home near Digby, Nova Scotia, without indoor plumbing, running water, or electricity.
While the specific paintings Nixon commissioned were not named, Lewis was known for her bold and colourful paintings that featured outdoor scenes and animals, inspired by the landscapes of southwest Nova Scotia. She painted on various surfaces, including Christmas cards, pulp boards, cookie sheets, and Masonite. Despite her recognition, Lewis never had a museum exhibition during her lifetime, and her work was not collected by art galleries or museums.
Today, Lewis's works are displayed at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, and her restored house, whose walls she adorned with her art, can also be visited in Halifax. Her paintings have sold for significantly more after her death, with one recently discovered painting auctioning for $45,000, and online bidding for another reaching over $125,000.
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Lewis' legacy
Maud Lewis, born Maud Kathleen Dowley, was a Canadian folk artist from Nova Scotia. She lived most of her life in poverty and constant physical pain, suffering from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis that left her body and hands deformed. Despite these challenges, Lewis dedicated her life to her art, painting cheerful scenes of landscapes, animals, and flowers that offered a nostalgic and optimistic vision of her native province.
Lewis' art career began with selling hand-painted Christmas cards, which proved popular with her husband Everett Lewis' fish customers. She expanded her range to include small works on wood panels and boards using house and boat paint, as well as painting on various surfaces in her home, including walls, doors, and breadboxes. Her unique style and determination to create despite her physical limitations captured the attention of the media, and she achieved national recognition in 1964 and 1965.
Lewis' fame continued to grow with a 1965 CBC documentary and a feature in the Toronto Star, which led to a notable commission from then-President Richard Nixon for two paintings, for which she requested payment in advance. Lewis' works have since been showcased in various films, plays, and books, and her paintings have sold for significantly more than they did during her lifetime, with one recently discovered painting auctioning for over $125,000.
Despite her posthumous success, Lewis never had a museum exhibition during her lifetime, nor was her work collected by art galleries or museums. Her house in Marshalltown, Nova Scotia, deteriorated after her death in 1970, but it was eventually restored and is now on permanent display at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. Lewis' art and life story continue to inspire, with her restored house and works displayed at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, as well as her bold and colourful paintings featured in the Hollywood film "Maudie" and various other media adaptations.
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Frequently asked questions
Richard Nixon, then President of the United States, commissioned two paintings from Maud Lewis.
The paintings by Maud Lewis for Richard Nixon featured cheerful scenes of landscapes, animals, and flowers, inspired by the landscapes of southwest Nova Scotia.
Yes, Nixon paid in advance as requested by Maud Lewis.
The paintings were sent to the White House during Richard Nixon's presidency.
