Acquired directly from the artist (1950s)
By descent to a Private Collection, Ontario
Literature
Lance Woolaver, “The Illuminated Life of Maud Lewis”, The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, 1995, page 57
Woolaver writes: “Maud painted her horses and oxen in decorative harness, even when ostensibly at work. She painted them as if she were actually harnessing them, following the sequence that the teamster would have used... The vivid memories of a harness maker's daughter served her well. She knew the difference between the American neck yoke and the Canadian head yoke, and the brass trim and the ox bells were the final touches to a well turned out team. In painting these details she maintained contact with her childhood, a time of happiness, joy and security. This cheerful nostalgia is an outstanding characteristic of her work.”
According to Alan Deacon, this artwork was likely painted in the 1950s. Deacon also believes that the board may have been trimmed along the upper edge possibly in order to accommodate past framing.
