Maud Lewis has become a revered Canadian artist but her folk art works are now so popular that forgers have become a risk. (Above: Sandy Cove in Autumn )
The CBC has just published a fascinating piece on the risks of forgery for Lewis’s paintings, with info on the vast increases in value they have obtained. For example, Three Black Cats (above) purchased directly from Lewis for between $5 and $10 in the late 1960s sold for $22,000 in 2018. ( Read the CBC piece here.)
Also see the Art Junkie’s profile on Maud Lewis, one of the most compelling stories in Canadian art history, the tale of Lewis, her life of poverty and her marriage to fish peddler Everett Lewis.
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The CBC coverage included the guy who basically flips her works, buys them only to resell them — yes! the no-added-value strategy of flipping has migrated from the world of real estate to that of art. (Not that I needed further proof of the machinations of that world.)
Also reminds me of what’s happened with Norval Morrisseau works over the years – from him peddling them in Port Arthur (before it was Thunder Bay) for less than $20 to the astronomical prices of today – and there are equally unsettling problems with flipping his art, too.
A common story. A dirty business.
Such a great point wendyfe. Here’s the link for those of you following the resale rights issue: https://www.carfac.ca/
Enter our need for CARFAC and their championing of Artist’s Resale Rights. There are many other sad tales of inadequate compensation for Canadian artists.