'Black Truck,' an Early Work by Famous Canadian Folk Artist Maud Lewis
The 'Black Truck' by Maud Lewis, put up for auction by the Demas couple. Photo by Miller & Miller Auctions Facebook capture, Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] A painting that a Canadian restaurant owner received 50 years ago instead of a $2 sandwich recently sold at auction for 270.54 million won (approximately $272,548), drawing attention.
According to foreign media including The Washington Post (WP) on the 27th (local time), the painting "Black Truck" by Canadian artist Maud Lewis, recently auctioned by Irene Demas (69) and her husband Tony Demas (90), sold for over 10 times the appraised value at $272,548 (about 340 million won). The Demas couple said they never imagined the painting they received in exchange for a sandwich would become a valuable asset.
The Demas couple ran a Mediterranean restaurant called "The Villa" in Ontario, Canada, for 12 years during the 1970s. They often accepted paintings instead of payment from their regular customers, the then-unknown artist couple John and Evelyn Keene.
Irene Demas said, "We needed paintings to hang in the restaurant, and they needed food," adding, "My husband often bartered art for food with the Keenes."
The Keene couple lived near a corner close to the Demas couple's restaurant, which allowed the two couples to frequently visit each other and become close.
John Keene's favorite menu item was a $1.96 sandwich. It was made with bread from an Italian bakery, spread with butter, and filled with aged cheddar cheese, then toasted to a crisp.
John Keene, who usually brought his own paintings to the restaurant, one day visited with several paintings by an unknown artist named Maud Lewis. He encouraged the Demas couple to choose their favorite piece from the collection.
Maud Lewis was a poor artist from eastern Canada who had suffered from rheumatoid arthritis since her youth. After learning about Lewis's story through newspapers, John Keene showed kindness by sending her brushes and paints. In return, Lewis gave Keene some of her paintings, which she sold for $10 each.
Thus, the painting "Black Truck" came into the hands of the Demas couple.
Later, Lewis became a representative folk artist of 20th-century Canada. Her works are known for their unique and lively atmosphere and continue to be beloved by Canadians.
The Demas couple treasured the painting for over 50 years before passing it on to their two children, who wished to sell it to help support their parents in old age. Irene Demas said, "The painting was part of our history, so selling it was not an easy decision."
The anonymous Canadian who won the auction for Maud's "Black Truck" told WP in an interview, "There was something about the painting that deeply moved me," adding, "I am not an art collector."
The evening before the auction, the winning bidder and their spouse watched the 2016 film "Maudie," which depicts Maud Lewis's life. The bidder said they plan to hang the painting in the bedroom where their six- and eight-year-old grandsons stay when visiting. They added, "Seeing this painting before going to sleep will be a good thing for my grandsons."
Meanwhile, a letter from Lewis, submitted along with the painting, sold for $54,000 (about 68 million won). This letter was also sent by Lewis to the Keene couple and was kept by the Demas couple after the Keenes passed away.
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