Miller & Miller to auction Canadian folk art led by Maud Lewis

By AI, Created 5:31 PM UTC, June 04, 2026, /AGP/ – Miller & Miller Auctions will open bidding June 11 on 72 curated lots of post-war Canadian folk art, headlined by major works from Maud Lewis, Joe Norris, Angus Trudeau and Edmond Châtigny. The online-only sale highlights fresh-to-market pieces with strong provenance across Maritime, Ontario and Quebec traditions.

Why it matters: - The sale brings several high-profile Canadian folk art works to market at once, including rare Maud Lewis paintings that collectors have long chased. - Strong provenance and long-held private collections can boost attention, competition and final prices. - The auction spans major regional traditions, giving collectors a broad snapshot of post-war Canadian folk art.

What happened: - Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. will present its Post-War Canadian Folk Art auction on Thursday, June 11, 2026. - The online-only sale includes 72 curated lots dating from 1950 to the present. - Live bidding begins at 5 p.m. Eastern Time, with lots closing sequentially in real time through a live webcast. - Bidding will be available through Miller & Miller Auctions and LiveAuctioneers, with phone and absentee bids also accepted. - The auction features key works by Maud Lewis, Joe Norris, Angus Trudeau, Cyril Hirtle and Edmond Châtigny.

The details: - Lot 37, Maud Lewis’s Three Black Cats, carries a Canadian estimate of $30,000 to $35,000. - The 1967 painting is described as one of Lewis’s most beloved serial images, framed by apple blossoms and tulips. - The work remains in excellent condition and was given as a Christmas gift to the current owner’s family in 1967. - Serial images of Three Black Cats are known only from the 1960s. - Lot 23, Springtime Oxen, is an early Maud Lewis work from the mid-1950s with a Canadian estimate of $20,000 to $25,000. - The painting shows Lewis’s oxen subject in the scarce “three-legged” manner found only in earlier works. - Lot 54, Joe Norris’s Summer Cove, carries a Canadian estimate of $9,000 to $12,000. - The large harbour scene includes brightly colored homes, fishing vessels, islands and a distant lighthouse beneath Norris’s pink horizon. - Lot 28, Joe Norris’s Prospect Bay, also carries a Canadian estimate of $9,000 to $12,000. - The painting depicts boats, shorelines, seabirds and luminous skies along the Nova Scotia coast. - Lot 59, Angus Trudeau’s Norgoma, carries a Canadian estimate of $9,000 to $12,000. - The work depicts the Great Lakes passenger vessel navigating Georgian Bay and was purchased directly from Angus Trudeau. - Lot 60, Angus Trudeau’s Panny Arnold, carries a Canadian estimate of $6,000 to $9,000. - Lot 63, an Edmond Châtigny bird sculpture, carries a Canadian estimate of $7,000 to $10,000. - The sculpture rises around a curved central post populated with birds and frogs. - Lot 20, Cyril Hirtle’s Doughboy, carries a Canadian estimate of $2,000 to $2,500. - The painting is distinguished by an exaggerated profile, a single blue eye and a period photograph of the artist with the work. - The sale also includes work by Joe Sleep, Charlie Tanner, Wilfrid Richard, Yvon Coté, Leo Fournier, Philippe Roy and others. - The catalog spans folk art from the Maritime Provinces, Ontario and Quebec. - A full catalog and bidding information are available at the auction catalog.

Between the lines: - The strongest lots are being offered from long-held private collections and estates, a factor that can make material more appealing to buyers. - Miller & Miller is positioning the sale around fresh-to-market pieces, important examples by recognized masters and strong regional coverage. - The focus on Maud Lewis and other canonical names suggests the auction is aimed at both advanced collectors and buyers seeking centerpiece works.

What’s next: - Bidding opens June 11 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time and will continue lot by lot in live webcast format. - Collectors can still bid online, by phone or by absentee submission before and during the sale. - Miller & Miller remains open to consignments of single pieces, estates and collections.

The bottom line: - The auction assembles some of the strongest Canadian folk art available this season, with Maud Lewis leading a sale built around rarity, condition and provenance.