Smoky and his Mammy

Additional Information

Provenance:
The Abe Hays Collection, Scottsdale, AZ

Exhibited:
Autry Museum, October 3, 1997 – January 4, 1998.
Nicolaysen Art Museum
Cow-Boy dans L'ame, Musee De La Civilisation, Quebec, April 10, 2002- March 15, 2003

"This image was inscribed by Will James to his wife, Alice, Who faithfully helped me with 'Smoky'. After Will James' death, Alice presented the image to Will James collector A.P. Hays inscribing; This picture is my pride and joy, … my heart goes with it. My best to you. July 30/79."

Smoky and his Mammy depicts the famous horse Smoky as a foal with his dam. The subject directly relates to his best-known literary creation and reflects one of the central themes of his work—the early development of horses and the bond between mare and foal.

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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