Beschreibung:

William Jacob Hays Sr. American, 1830-1875 Pheasants, 1867 American, 1830-1875 Pheasants, 1867 Signed W. J. Hays and dated 1867. (ll) Oil on canvas stretched to a panel 19 x 24 inches Provenance: Private collection In contrast to many of his contemporaries who painted majestic views of the Hudson River Valley and New England, Hays focused his attention on the portrayal of animals and the Western prairies. He achieved considerable success in this field, and at the time of his death, he was known as "one of the most able painters in the country." (Art Journal, New York, 1875, 127). Five years later, the art historian S. G. W. Benjamin declared that Hays "succeeded in giving spirit and character to the [animals] he painted, and holds among our animal painters a position not dissimilar to that of [William Sidney] Mount in genre." Interested in animal subjects from the outset of his career, Hays-possibly inspired by the example of George Catlin traveled for five months along the upper Missouri River to Fort Union. He rendered crisp oil paintings on his return from the drawings he created on the trip. Hays subsequently traveled to the Adirondacks, Nova Scotia, Yellowstone in Wyoming, and England, developing detailed studies for his acclaimed views of herds of buffalo and prairie life, as well as of game birds, fish, fruit, and flowers. C The Spanierman Gallery, LLC
Frame rubbing. Scattered craquelure throughout. There are touches of inpaint in the leaves in the upper center between the two pheasants. There is a 1 1/2 x 3 inch area of possible inpaint in the largest pheasant's wing at center. There is a 1 1/2 inch line of inpaint in the largest pheasant's base of the tail. There are two areas of inpaint in the pheasant in the middle, approximately 1/2 inch round each. There are some touches of inpaint in the main branch in the lower right quadrant. There is no further restoration under UV light.