(1901 - 1970)
Maud Lewis was born in Nova Scotia, and endured many hardships in her early life. As a teenager, she started to experience deformities of her face and hands as a result of a childhood disease. Maud married Everett Lewis, and together they lived in a small one room house with sleeping loft, without the benefit of electricity or plumbing. Although she suffered from physical handicaps, she made hand drawn Christmas cards and later, small brightly coloured paintings, which she sold to help overcome their poverty. She also painted birds, flowers and butterflies on various parts of the tiny house in which they lived, and many articles within the house. In later years, her husband Everett also began to paint.Maud Lewis' art and house can be found in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. Ray Cronin's new book "Our Maud The Life, Art and Legacy of Maud Lewis" sets out an excellent history of Maud's house from the early days of her paintings through its preservation, restoration and eventual installation as a permanent exhibit at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. "The Painted House of Maud Lewis: Conserving a Folk Art Treasure" by Laurie Hamilton also documents the history of Maud Lewis' house. Both books are available for sale in our Publication section. Watch the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia video Maud Lewis' Painted House by clicking here.
Her work can also be found in the Canadian Museum of Civilization. She is the subject of a book, "The Illuminated Life of Maud Lewis", and a stage play has been written about her life. She is also the subject of two National Film Board of Canada documentaries, "Maud Lewis - A World Without Shadows" (1997), and "The Illuminated Life of Maud Lewis" (1998). Maud Lewis is featured in the article "Home is Where the Heart Is" in Raw Vision, Issue #70 Fall 2010.
The Maud Lewis movie, Maudie, staring Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke, has been reviewed by The Washington Post and The Globe and Mail just to name a few. You can purchase Maudie on DVD from our Publication section. We also have a selection of books including Lance Woolaver's book "Maud Lewis, The Heart On The Door".
Ref: Marie Ellwood, Folk Art of Nova Scotia (1976); Kobayashi/Bird, A Compendium of Canadian Folk Artists (1985); A.G.N.S., Nova Scotia Folk Art - Canada's Cultural Heritage (1989); Blake McKendry, An Illustrated Companion To Canadian Folk Art (1999), Bernard Riordon (Beaverbrook Gallery), Canadian Folk Art from the Collection of Susan A. Murray (2007); Ray Cronin, Nova Scotia Folk Art: An Illustrated Guide (2024).
