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WILL RODERICK JAMES (Canadian/American) Oil on ca

Will Roderick James (Canadian/American, 1892 - 1942)

Castles in the Sky.

Oil on canvas. c1930. Signed "Will James," lower left. 14 x 18 in. (356 x 457 mm). Oil paintings by Will James are rare. Accompanied by a letter/certificate of authenticity. Full return privileges. Joseph Ernest Nephtali Dufault, later to be known as Will James, was born on June 6, 1892, in Quebec, Canada. At a young age, he departed Canada and traveled to the United States, working and drifting primarily as a cowboy. He served in the army and soon began selling his sketches. In 1920 he married, and shortly after that, he had a brief period of study at Yale University. During his writing career he wrote and illustrated 23 books in all, with appeal to a wide audience. His art appeared in the pages of books and periodicals, as well as illustrating the works of other authors. Will James spent his latter years at his home in Billings, Montana, and on his ranch, the "Rocking R Ranch" at Pryor Creek, Montana. During his lifetime, he was fortunate to watch his popularity grow, as he witnessed movies made from his books. Despite his popularity and success as a novelist and artist, James had a tragic life. He served a short prison term for rustling, experienced an unpleasant marriage, and had a severe alcohol dependency. His life ended at the early age of 50 in 1942 (Courtesy: AskART).

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