William R. James
Canadian · 1892–1942 · Illustrator
William Roderick James was a Canadian-American artist and writer of the American West. He is known for writing Smoky the Cowhorse, for which he won the 1927 Newbery Medal, and… (Wikipedia)
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Record prices
Smoky and ClintScottsdale Art Auction · $990,000≈ £736,333≈ €845,359Sign up to see
A Heeler in the SlackScottsdale Art Auction · $156,000≈ £116,028≈ €133,208Sign up to see
Bull Dogger sketchScottsdale Art Auction · $90,000≈ £66,939≈ €76,851Sign up to see
William R. James’s highest prices recorded at auction, ranked in US dollars at each sale-date exchange rate and shown in the currency of the sale (with the buyer’s premium where the house publishes it).
ArtSell has recorded 42 auction results for William R. James between 2006 and 2026, of which 42 sold (100%). A further 2 lots were offered at auction without a published result. Recorded sale prices range from $1.3kSign up free to see to $990kSign up free to see. The highest price recorded is $990kSign up free to see for Smoky and Clint at Scottsdale Art Auction in April 2026. The most common medium is drawings (30 lots). Most results come from Scottsdale Art Auction (32), Coeur d'Alene Art Auction (9) and North American Auction Co. (1).
42 results · page 1 of 2
- $15,600≈ £11,424≈ €13,334Sign up free to see
- $1,800≈ £1,318≈ €1,539Sign up free to see
- $6,600≈ £4,833≈ €5,642Sign up free to see
- $19,200≈ £14,060≈ €16,412Sign up free to see
- $5,400≈ £3,954≈ €4,616Sign up free to see
- $27,000≈ £19,772≈ €23,079Sign up free to see
- $14,400≈ £10,545≈ €12,309Sign up free to see
- $51,000≈ £37,346≈ €43,593Sign up free to see
- $7,800≈ £5,712≈ €6,667Sign up free to see
- $5,700≈ £4,174≈ €4,872Sign up free to see
Also offered, result not published (2)
Lots by William R. James that were offered at auction where the house did not publish whether they sold. Not counted in any statistics.
William R. James paintings (8)William R. James oil paintings (5)William R. James mixed media (3)William R. James works on paper (34)William R. James drawings (30)
William R. James: quick facts
What is the highest price paid for a work by William R. James at auction?
$990,000Sign up free to see, for Smoky and Clint at Scottsdale Art Auction (April 2026) — the highest price in ArtSell’s records.
What is a typical auction price for William R. James?
The median sale price is $21kSign up free to see across 42 priced sales. Prices vary by medium, size and date — see the price chart & statistics.
How many works by William R. James have sold at auction?
42 of 42 recorded lots sold between 2006 and 2026. 2 further lots were offered with no published result and are not counted.
Which auction houses sell William R. James?
Scottsdale Art Auction, Coeur d'Alene Art Auction and North American Auction Co. account for the most recorded results. Scottsdale Art Auction · Coeur d'Alene Art Auction · North American Auction Co.
About William R. James
William Roderick James was a Canadian-American artist and writer of the American West. He is known for writing Smoky the Cowhorse, for which he won the 1927 Newbery Medal, and numerous "cowboy" stories for adults and children. His artwork, which predominantly involved cowboy and rodeo scenes, followed "in the tradition of Charles Russell", and much of it was used to illustrate his books. In 1992, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.