Self-taught painter Joseph Ralph Breckenridge, aka "Cowboy Joe," was born in 1894 in Ionia, Michigan and passed away in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, in 1972. During those years, Joe served in the Marine Corps in World War I and performed as a rodeo cowboy. He is best remembered for his paintings like this one, created as he traveled the US, Canada and Mexico. He painted on small wooden panels at bars, saloons and pool halls, trading his artworks for beer. He also painted murals and demonstrated his painting at county and state fairs. The black and white photo is from his obituary in the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Press newspaper, while the color picture of him painting in a bar is by AI.
This painting with the title "Lost Pack Horse" shows a lone horse, pack on his back, wandering in a sleeting snowstorm against a washed-out blue sky, trying to follow in the footsteps of the horse in front of him, but falling behind. A single wolf is trailing him, waiting behind snow covered rocks for the right moment. The painting is so evocative of scenes played out in the wild.
The painting is signed lower left "JOE R BRECKENRIDGE" in his distinctive printed signature. In the center is the title, also printed by Joe in capital letters. On the unpainted reverse side, he attached a printed return label with his address in Coeur d'Alene. There is also his stamp "Joe Breckenridge" on
the underside, totaling three different confirmations that this is an original.
Painted in oils on a 1/2 inch thick pine board with beveled corners that measures 9 1/2 inches by 15 1/2 inches, the artwork weighs 1 pound 11 ounces. Driven into the top of the painting is a metal hanging loop, a typical Joe Breckenridge touch. It's in very good condition, with virtually no paint loss. We cleaned it with plain filtered water and removed much of the grime, but it has definitely spent some time in a smoky room (but does not have an odor). It's a wonderful find by a storied artist.
✪✪ Some yarns about Joe:
On September 19, 1917, Williston, North Dakota had a bit to boast about its county jail. The Williston Graphic reported that "It is not every county jail in the state that can boast of an artist [but] Williston can.”
A young man by the name of Joseph R. Breckenridge had been arrested for violating the “Bone Dry Law,” enacted on July 1 that year. Basically, both federal and state laws combined to virtually eliminate transport, delivery, and use of liquor.
The Williston Graphic seemed to pooh-pooh the law, calling Breckenridge’s infraction “unimportant.” Regardless, the crime landed him in jail with a 90-day sentence, time the paper noted was put to good work as the prisoner was “developing a latent talent for art.” He was painting scenes of “the last west” and “the end of the trail.” The art was selling to locals and also to “tourists inspecting the jail.” The paper wrote that his work had “been seen and … appreciated. They sell, and that proves something.” Joe was then 23 years old.
On the opening day of the new Museum of North Idaho in 2023 the featured exhibit was “Cowboy Joe: The Art of Joe Breckenridge.” A room was dedicated to display over 30 of his paintings.
"...painted pictures to pay bar tabs wherever he went, painted a picture for President Roosevelt, or Eisenhower...
"The Rainbow Inn at Hauser {Idaho}used to have painted doors in the bar done by Joe!
© PrimpingYourHome.com
PYH 5824
Self-taught painter Joseph Ralph Breckenridge, aka "Cowboy Joe," was born in 1894 in Ionia, Michigan and passed away in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, in 1972. During those years, Joe served in the Marine Corps in World War I and performed as a rodeo cowboy. He is best remembered for his paintings like this one, created as he traveled the US, Canada and Mexico. He painted on small wooden panels at bars, saloons and pool halls, trading his artworks for beer. He also painted murals and demonstrated his painting at county and state fairs. The black and white photo is from his obituary in the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Press newspaper, while the color picture of him painting in a bar is by AI.
This painting with the title "Lost Pack Horse" shows a lone horse, pack on his back, wandering in a sleeting snowstorm against a washed-out blue sky, trying to follow in the footsteps of the horse in front of him, but falling behind. A single wolf is trailing him, waiting behind snow covered rocks for the right moment. The painting is so evocative of scenes played out in the wild.
The painting is signed lower left "JOE R BRECKENRIDGE" in his distinctive printed signature. In the center is the title, also printed by Joe in capital letters. On the unpainted reverse side, he attached a printed return label with his address in Coeur d'Alene. There is also his stamp "Joe Breckenridge" on
the underside, totaling three different confirmations that this is an original.
Painted in oils on a 1/2 inch thick pine board with beveled corners that measures 9 1/2 inches by 15 1/2 inches, the artwork weighs 1 pound 11 ounces. Driven into the top of the painting is a metal hanging loop, a typical Joe Breckenridge touch. It's in very good condition, with virtually no paint loss. We cleaned it with plain filtered water and removed much of the grime, but it has definitely spent some time in a smoky room (but does not have an odor). It's a wonderful find by a storied artist.
✪✪ Some yarns about Joe:
On September 19, 1917, Williston, North Dakota had a bit to boast about its county jail. The Williston Graphic reported that "It is not every county jail in the state that can boast of an artist [but] Williston can.”
A young man by the name of Joseph R. Breckenridge had been arrested for violating the “Bone Dry Law,” enacted on July 1 that year. Basically, both federal and state laws combined to virtually eliminate transport, delivery, and use of liquor.
The Williston Graphic seemed to pooh-pooh the law, calling Breckenridge’s infraction “unimportant.” Regardless, the crime landed him in jail with a 90-day sentence, time the paper noted was put to good work as the prisoner was “developing a latent talent for art.” He was painting scenes of “the last west” and “the end of the trail.” The art was selling to locals and also to “tourists inspecting the jail.” The paper wrote that his work had “been seen and … appreciated. They sell, and that proves something.” Joe was then 23 years old.
On the opening day of the new Museum of North Idaho in 2023 the featured exhibit was “Cowboy Joe: The Art of Joe Breckenridge.” A room was dedicated to display over 30 of his paintings.
"...painted pictures to pay bar tabs wherever he went, painted a picture for President Roosevelt, or Eisenhower...
"The Rainbow Inn at Hauser {Idaho}used to have painted doors in the bar done by Joe!
© PrimpingYourHome.com
PYH 5824
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