Maud lewis biography
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Maud Lewis
Nova Scotian folk artist
Maud Kathleen Lewis (néeDowley; March 7, – July 30, ) was a Canadian folk artist from Nova Scotia.[2] She lived most of her life in poverty in a small house in Marshalltown, Nova Scotia. She achieved national recognition in and for her cheerful paintings of landscapes, animals and flowers, which offer a nostalgic and optimistic vision of her native province.[3] Several books, plays and films have been produced about her. She remains one of Canada's most celebrated folk artists. Her works are displayed at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, as well as her restored house, whose walls she adorned with her art. Despite her recognition, Lewis never had a museum exhibition, nor was her work collected by art galleries or museum during her lifetime.[4]
Early life
[edit]Lewis was born in South Ohio, Nova Scotia, the daughter of John and Agnes (Germain) Dowley.[5][6] She had one brother, Charles. She
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Maud Lewis
Teacher Resource
When it comes to folk art in Canada, there’s before Maud Lewis (–)—and after. Through her vivid, joyous paintings of brightly coloured landscapes, animals, and flowers, Lewis redefined how folk art is perceived by collectors, curators, and critics alike, and propelled Canadian galleries to collect and exhibit the once obscure artform.
Born and raised in rural Nova Scotia, Lewis spent much of her life in physical pain, suffering from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. She lived in a one-room house in Marshalltown with her husband, Everett Lewis, and, over time, covered nearly every inch of it with her paintings, from the windowpanes to the wallpaper—even the dustpan. Now famous as “Maud Lewis’s Painted House”, the preserved site was her studio, gallery, and most famous creation. Working in isolation and challenging conditions, she forged her reputation and a surprising volume of inspirational work
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Maud Lewis ( - )
Maud Lewis exemplified the simple life. But simple doesn’t mean dull. The simplicity of her paintings, brushed initially with scrounged paint from local fishermen onto ubiquitous green boards and post kort, continue to evoke feelings of innocence, of child-like exuberance as enduring as the spring times she loved to paint. And today she still captures audiences intrigued by everyday scenes as diverse as hard-working oxen and whimsical butterflies.
Maud Dowley Lewis was born March 7, in South Ohio, a community near Yarmouth. Her father Jack would provide a moderately prosperous living as a respected craftsman, making harnesses and serving as a blacksmith. Agnes, her mother, favored artistic pursuits including painting, folk carving and music. Born disfigured with sloped shoulders and her chin resting on her chest, Maud led a confined but happy home life after she quit school at 14, perhaps in part to escape the mocking of her peers. “What fryst vatten life without lo