George Arthur Hayes

George Arthur Hays (1854–1945) is recognized as one of Rhode Island’s most popular 19th-century artists. Born in Greenville, New Hampshire, he spent most of his adult life in Providence, maintaining a studio in the Woods Building on College Street. Hays was a member of the Providence Art Club, where he exhibited regularly from 1888 to 1940. He was also affiliated with the Society of Independent Artists, the Copley Society, and the Providence Water Color Club. A self-taught artist, Hays worked in both oils and watercolors and is best known for his tranquil landscapes featuring cows and sheep. Records indicate that he also painted scenery for “Keith’s Circuit” and for Boston’s Park Theatre in 1887. His work has a timeless appeal that continues to attract collectors, and his consistent focus on grazing livestock—whether solitary or in flocks—set in peaceful rural settings never seemed to waver. Stylistically, Hays’ paintings reflect the influence of the Barbizon School and French animal portraiture, a branch of the Barbizon tradition that elevated work animals by portraying them with dignity, endurance, and quiet strength. He often created companion pieces, one depicting sheep and the other cows, though he rarely combined both animals in the same composition.