William Jacob Hays, Sr. American, New York (1830-1875)

SOLD

Pheasants
Signed: (l.l.): W.J. Hays 1867
Oil on canvas stretched to a wood panel (original)
19″ x 24″
Condition: Excellent, virtually no restoration, in the original carved gilt frame.
Provenance: Private Collection, the Spanierman Gallery

Born in NYC in 1830, Hays later attended the National Academy of Design and studied drawing from John Rubens Smith. During 1860, Hays took a journey up the Missouri River and sketched flora and fauna of the American West which he became known for. Hays’ paintings of the American West contributed to the history and knowledge of the area. As a naturalist and observer, his paintings of prairie life, including plants, were rendered with accuracy and detail. He portrayed his depictions of buffalo as realistically as possible, studying even the bone structure. This  work is a wonderful example of his acumen as a naturalist painter exhibiting the detail and true color of the subject.