An exceptional online-only auction of 73 lots of Canadian folk art, highlighted by six fresh-to-the-market Maud Lewis works, closes live beginning at 5pm EST.
NEW HAMBURG, ONTARIO, CANADA, January 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Important original works by Canada’s most celebrated post-war folk artists, led by Maud Lewis, Ted Harrison, and Joe Norris, will come up for bid on Thursday, February 12, 2026, as Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. presents its Post-War Folk Art auction. The online-only sale features 73 curated lots of Canadian folk art dating from 1950 to the present, with works representing the Maritime Provinces, Quebec, Ontario, and the Yukon.
The auction opens for live bidding at 5pm Eastern Time, with lots closing sequentially in real time via live webcast. While there is no in-person event to attend, bidders can follow the sale as it unfolds online through the Miller & Miller Auctions platform.
The sale is led by a rare and significant group of six Maud Lewis paintings, including one of her earliest and most important works; two vivid Yukon scenes by Ted Harrison, offered from the estate of the artist’s close friend and dentist; and compelling land, sea, and narrative compositions by Joe Norris, including a painting illustrated in Bernard Riordon’s Joe Norris: Painted Visions of Nova Scotia. Also featured are carvings by elusive Maritime masters Charlie Tanner and Collins Eisenhauer, alongside select works by Barbara Clark-Fleming and others.
“The last five years have proven the strong investment potential of Canadian post-war folk art,” said Ethan Miller of Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. “This fresh-to-the-market offering, with top-tier works by Lewis, Norris, and Harrison included, affords collectors and investors alike an important opportunity.”
The undisputed centrepiece of the auction is Lot 65, Maud Lewis’s Springtime in the Maritimes (estimate $35,000–$50,000 Canadian), a rare serial image dating to the early 1940s and widely regarded as one of her finest early works. Painted in Marshalltown, Nova Scotia, the oil on Masonite composition presents a richly detailed rural spring scene, complete with farm buildings, fishermen, a horse-drawn ploughman, and a distant church spire framed by winding blue waters. Maud Lewis authority Alan Deacon has described the painting as “important,” noting that it is “one of the best early works” he has seen. Gifted directly by Lewis to her close friend Marian Porter, the painting is offered by the Porter estate and includes a Certificate of Authenticity.
Two additional Maud Lewis cat paintings follow closely behind. Lot 48, Three Black Cats (estimate $30,000–$35,000 Canadian), is a quintessential mid-1960s example of Lewis’s most iconic subject, featuring three distinct feline figures rendered in her signature kaleidoscopic palette. Purchased directly from the artist and offered from the original owner’s estate, the painting includes a Certificate of Authenticity. Lot 49, Fluffy White Cat with Yarn, Butterflies, Flowers (estimate $20,000–$25,000 Canadian), dated 1967, presents a more whimsical and personal composition believed to reference Lewis’s own white cat. The work has remained in the same family since its original purchase from Lewis and is regarded as an exceptional example of her later output.
Ted Harrison’s bold interpretations of the Canadian North are represented by two important acrylics offered from the estate of David Philip, Harrison’s longtime friend and personal dentist. Lot 34, Over the Waves (estimate $12,000–$15,000 Canadian), painted in 2000, depicts a fisherman casting into turbulent waters beneath a dramatic sky, with a schooner and whale animating the scene. Lot 35, Northern Morning (estimate $12,000–$15,000 Canadian), completed in 1999, features a parka-clad figure walking a dog along icy waters under Harrison’s unmistakable northern palette.
Joe Norris is represented by two strong works that capture his distinctive storytelling approach and vibrant colour. Lot 58, Penguins (estimate $12,000–$15,000 Canadian), dated 1983, presents an imaginative and rarely seen subject, with seals and seabirds observing a colony of penguins on a snow-dusted island. The image closely relates to an example illustrated in Riordon’s Painted Visions of Nova Scotia. Lot 31, Deer Cove (estimate $9,000–$12,000 Canadian), dated 1987, incorporates many of Norris’s signature elements, including bright coastal waters, fishing boats, grazing animals, and a painted songbird frame.
Maritime carving highlights include Lot 1, Charlie Tanner’s Woman with Dog and Child (estimate $3,000–$5,000 Canadian), a signed 1981 figural group from the Dr. Alan Giffen Collection that shows an unusual and successful departure from Tanner’s typical stylization. Also featured is Lot 29, Collins Eisenhauer’s Woman with a Purse (estimate $2,000–$3,000 Canadian), a classic mid-1960s Lunenburg carving with strong surface colour and expressive form.
“This auction reflects what collectors are actively seeking right now,” Mr. Miller added. “Fresh-to-the-market works, strong provenance, and artists whose importance continues to be reinforced by scholarship, museum interest, and sustained market demand.”
The Post-War Folk Art auction is an online-only sale with live webcast bidding beginning at 5pm Eastern Time on February 12, 2026. Internet bidding is available through Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. with phone and absentee bids also accepted.
For full catalogue details and bidding information, visit: https://live.millerandmillerauctions.com/auctions/4-ISBS5Z/post-war-folk-art
Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. is Canada’s trusted seller of high-value collections and is always accepting quality consignments. The firm specializes in art, antiques, watches, and important private collections, providing collectors with a trusted place to buy and sell.
To consign a single piece, an estate, or a collection, call (519) 573-3710 or email info@millerandmillerauctions.com. To learn more, visit www.MillerandMillerAuctions.com.
Ethan Miller
Miller & Miller Auctions
+1 519-573-3710
info@millerandmillerauctions.com
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