My First Horse

Additional Information

Provenance:
The Abe Hays Collection, Scottsdale, AZ

Exhibited:
Autry Museum Exhibit October 3, 97-Jan 4, 98
Cow-Boy dans L'ame, Musee De La Civilisation, Quebec, April 10, 2002- March 15, 2003

Literature:
My First Horse, by Will James, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, NY, 1940, p.11 and cover

"Will James painted watercolors for the dust jackets of ten of his last twelve books. In addition, he completed twenty watercolors for My First Horse, a short childrens book published in 1940."

My First Horse is an especially significant work, serving as the published illustration for James' book of the same title. With his characteristic economy of line and keen observational skill, James conveys both the spirited nature of the young horse and the lighthearted challenges of early horsemanship. The drawing exemplifies the narrative quality that distinguished his illustrations, seamlessly blending visual storytelling with firsthand authenticity. Adding to its exceptional importance, the work comes from the renowned Abe Hays Collection, was exhibited at the Autry Museum of the American West, and is illustrated in the published volume My First Horse, making it an outstanding example of Will James' enduring artistic and literary legacy.

Will James (1892–1942) occupies a singular place in the history of Western American art and literature. A working cowboy before he achieved recognition as an artist and author, James drew upon firsthand experience of ranch life to create images of exceptional authenticity and vitality. His illustrations and stories eschewed romanticized depictions of the frontier in favor of scenes grounded in lived experience, capturing the movement, temperament, and spirit of horses, cattle, and cowboys with an economy of line that became his hallmark. His celebrated book Smoky the Cowhorse received the 1927 Newbery Medal and established James as one of the foremost interpreters of the American West, while his illustrations for books, magazines, and personal manuscripts remain among the most sought-after works by collectors of Western art.

The present group offered in Scottsdale Art Auction’s summer sale represents an outstanding assemblage of original works from the renowned Abe Hays Collection, one of the most important private collections of Will James material ever assembled. Hays devoted decades to preserving the artist's legacy, acquiring original drawings, manuscripts, published illustrations, and archival material that documented James's artistic and literary career. Several works offered here were included in the landmark exhibition of the Abe Hays Collection at the Autry Museum of Western Heritage (October 3, 1997–January 4, 1998), further underscoring their historical and scholarly importance.

These works present an exceptional opportunity to acquire original examples by one of the defining artistic voices of the American West.

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