Barton S. Hays (American, 1826-1914). Oil on canvas painting depicting a scene of a cowboy in black attire moving cattle through a wooded landscape.

Although Hays initially gained popularity for his portraiture - such as his painting of then-governor of Indiana, William Henry Harrison - his focus shifted to still life paintings after his move to Minneapolis and it was these realistic paintings that were his most popular. He also created panorama paintings such as his painting depicting scenes from Harriet Beecher Stowe's iconic novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin."
Height: 26 1/2 in x width: 20 in. There is wear throughout the recto and verso. There are stretcher bar marks visible along all four margins. Throughout the recto the varnish is discolored, most noticeably along the lower right quadrant. There is inpainting along the lower extreme edge. Along the extreme edges of the canvas there is wear and losses, especially along the top edge. Along the verso there are several canvas patches indicating restoration. There is a minute one in the lower right corner, two along the left edge, two that are approximately 5 inches long down the center, and most obviously one along the length of the top edge.