British actor Sally Hawkins is turning heads and creating Oscar buzz for her role as Nova Scotia folk artist Maud Lewis (1903-1970) in a movie that also stars Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke. (It opened April 14 in select cities).
Maudie (trailer below) tells one of the most compelling stories in Canadian art history, the tale of Lewis and her marriage to fish peddler Everett Lewis.
She became one of Canada’s most recognized and best-loved folk artists, despite the significant challenge of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The house she moved into in 1938 was one of her earliest and most stunning canvases.
The tiny house, which features prominently in the film, is the star attraction at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia’s Maud Lewis Gallery.
“Until you see Maud’s house in person it’s impossible to imagine how appalling her living conditions were,” says Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Director and CEO Nancy Noble. “And when you add her physical disabilities into the mix, it’s remarkable that she was able to paint at all let alone such colourful, joyful and animated works of art.”
The film’s release comes on the heels of a remarkable discovery at the Mennonite Central Committee thrift store in New Hamburg, Ontario. At the bottom of a donation bin, an employee found what has now been authenticated as an original Maud Lewis artwork. The canvas (above) has generated interest from around the world, with an estimated worth up to $16,000.
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Maud Lewis resources at Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, here.
Canadian Encyclopedia entry, here.
This is #21 in the series 150 Artists you should know.
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Loved the movie, but wish it could have been made in Nova Scotia, but understand why it wasn’t since they took the film credit away. But still a great movie, went with my mom on mothers day, and shed quite a few tears!
Do you know where I can purchase the movie?
Hi Mary – It’s available (pre-order) on iTunes.
Maude is an inspiration. Her work is perfectly charming. I watched the trailer, and the movie looks wonderful!
That’s a great word for her work – charming. I can’t wait to see the movie. I thought it was also a great way to highlight an artist, as the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is doing a special exhibit. Thanks Resa. Hope you have a lovely weekend.
I shall look out for this, great post.
Thanks, glad you stopped by!
I’m so glad you’ve written this post, and I’m impatient to see the movie. I have a treasured, peripheral connection: in the 1950s my aunt was visiting friends in Nova Scotia who knew her love of art (& humanity) and urged her to go visit this strange little woman and see what she was doing. My aunt did, bought an oxen painting (from Irv — Maud herself was busy in her corner, painting), and after many decades of cherishing it in her own home, gave it to me. I cherish it, and Maud’s indomitable spirit, just as much.
What a wonderful connection. It must have been a wonderful totem of both your aunt and Maud. Thank you for sharing that. And hope you see the movie.
Yes, with a colleague from the AGO, we’re planning for it!
This looks fascinating
Thanks Rosie, yes there are all these amazing stories about all kinds of art, hidden everywhere. Beautiful to discover them.