Covered Bridge

About Covered Bridge

The much-admired folk art paintings of Maud Lewis have become an iconic symbol of Nova Scotia and are collected around the world.
This charming winter scene, horse-drawn sleighs dashing through the snow, crossing a frozen river by way of a covered bridge, a line of colourful homes, and a church framed by a forest captures rural Nova Scotia as only Maud Lewis could. The remarkable work of Canada’s beloved folk artist is rendered in her trademark simple form and bright colours--red, sky blue, bright yellow, forest green and brown. Despite the hardships of poverty and advancing arthritis, Maud was able to create a body of cheerful paintings that belied her situation – the fluffy white and black cats, the jaunty sleighs on wintery roads, the oxen festooned with bells and more. The self-taught artist painted on whatever surface was available including clam shells, dustpans, and the walls of her tiny home.

“I used to ‘paint’ with Crayola’s a lot. I guess I was practising.”
Maud Lewis

Maud Lewis was born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in 1901. She was never formally trained as an artist but used to paint postcards and Christmas cards with her mother. As an adult, she sold paintings from the house she shared with her husband for five dollars. She died at age 69.
The little house was restored and is on permanent exhibit at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. Her artwork is held there and in the Canadian Museum of Civilization. Maud Lewis is the subject of several biographies and two National Film Board of Canada documentaries. In 2017, a biopic of Maud's life titled "Maudie" was released starring Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke.