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2025 Nov 01 @ 08:00 (UTC-07:00 : PDT/MST)
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Overall frame size 43.5" x 38" Art size 35" x 29.5" Signed lower right in red outlined buffalo. Dan Muller.
The Last Roundup, oil painting by Dan Muller, 1935
Dan Muller’s “Masterpiece”
Essay by Fred N. Holabird, copyright 2025.
This essay accompanies a separate biography of Muller and general discussion of his work.
This painting was called by both Muller and Town House owner Charley Rennie “Muller’s Masterpiece.” It is unquestionably a true “masterpiece” in every essence of the word. Painted and hung at the Town House in 1935, the painting hung at the center of the dance hall, the most important spot in the Town House complex, the biggest cowboy bar in Reno, and the biggest in Western America.
Like Will James, Muller wrote in “cowboy vernacular.” The following is an excerpt from Muller’s own description of the painting as told through the eyes of a Pony. The term “paint”, as all cowpokes know, refers to a horse with white markings, as if they were “painted” on the horse.
Here’s the Pony’s story of this painting:
In th’ center o’ that dance floor and facin’ th’ dinin’ room is a picture which I hears th’ Maitre d’Hotel call…th’ Piece d’Resistance, whatever that is. It’s titled…”The Last Roundup”…a wonderfully colored masterpiece which, bein’ only a hoss, with no benefit o’book learnin’, I will insist on my boss, Dan Muller, who hasn’t got much on me for book learnin’ at that,…well, here’s his story o’that picture.
“THE LAST ROUNDUP”
“For th’ past week Oldtimer has had that feelin’ what tells you as how you are headin’ fer th’ Last Roundup. You know…sorta like hosses, they has that instinct what tells ‘em when they is headin’ fer th’ happy grazin’ grounds. They jest picks ‘em out a place t’lie down where their weary bones will not have t’ do a human’s biddin’ no more…that’s jest th’ way Oldtimer has felt all week. This mornin’ he drags his rope and makes a throw fer Old Paint, a throw he misses, and that wise old cowhoss, feelin’ th’ rope hit his shoulders, stops, which most good cowponies does…it’s part o’ their education. Th’ old man’s eyes is dimmin’ and his rope-arm is plumb full o’ rheumatics. When he tops off Old Paint he gets himself shaken up a-plenty…ev’ry good cow-hoss gives his boss a merry ride on a frosty mornin’. How would you like t’have a cold, stiff saddle-blanket and a hard saddle throw’d acrost your chilly back after standin’ out all night in a rope corral? Well, when that cowhand steps into that saddle, that pony, not bein’ naturally mean, jest wants t’kinda warm hisself up jest like when you city hombres has your sittin’ -up exercises by radio ev’ry mornin’. Well he jest bogs his head and gets t’buckin’ until he has that saddle-blanket and his back at ‘bout th’ same temp’rature. after which, he works fine all th’ rest o’that day. This mornin’ in particular Oldtimer has all he can do t’stay with Old Paint’s feeble crowhops. It seems like as what his achin’ bones is jest cryin’fer rest…he knows he can’t take it no more. He starts on circle. Old Paint, on a slow dogtrot heads fer them sage flats. Th’bright mornin’ sun comin’ up takes th’ chill outen Oldtimer’s bones. It changes th’ foothills t’th’ reddish-gold he knows and loves so well. It makes his eyes blink which it never done b’fore, and, I’ll be th’ son-of-a-rattle-snake, what does his fadin’ sight see up there in them fiery clouds?” Sure ‘nuf … there’s Oldtimer a-ridin’ another Paint Hoss, and a-wavin’ his rope at a dogey what acts like he will have t’be put in with th’ drag. There’s them rangy Texas longhorns which he has helped drive all th’ way f’m Abilene … helped fight Injuns … helped mill them cows when they got t’stampedin’. How glad his heart was then … how full o’hope … what ambitions t’corral a little spread o’his own and send fer that gal o’hisn what promised t’wait. Life is full o’disappointments … ever play poker? Well, we can’t all of us be winners, but pardner, don’t be too hard on the losers … sech is life. Old Paint is tryin’ t’tell Oldtimer he savvies th’ same thing up there in th’ sky. Hosses talk … don’t let anyone tell you they don’t … jest watch their ears when you’re ridin’ them … they tell a lot.”
The story goes on for a bit. Included in this lot is one of the original Town House menus, not a copy, with all of the original text and printed sketches.
Will James Influence
There is no doubt that Muller got inspiration from another Reno cowboy artist and author Will James, who wrote Smoky while living in a small cabin on the Washoe Pines Ranch on the western side of Washoe Valley, tucked in among the Jeffrey pines. Interestingly enough, James’ name is never mentioned in any context with Muller in any of the published articles or interviews so far located.
The Will James influence is unmistakable. In both men‘s original terms, they used “cowboy vernacular.” Both grew up as cowboys, with Muller only three years older than James. Muller’s oil painting ability and talent excelled compared to James, who was never able to master the genre, instead sticking to his high quality sketches even after meetings and discussions with renowned western artist Charles Russell. But James got the jump on Muller in his writing, published first in January 1920 in Sunset Magazine, then picked up by Scribner’s in 1924, who published his first book “Cowboys North and South.” By 1930, James had published six books including “Smoky” in 1926 and “Lone Cowboy, My Life’s Story” (fictional) in 1930.
Similarity to the song “Riders in the Sky” by Stan Jones (1914-1963), 1948
This classic painting pre-dates Stan Jones’ popular song by twelve years. In a March 25, 1951 Nevada State Journal article discussing an interview with Muller, the author flatly stated “His (Muller) painting, “the Last Roundup,” was the inspiration for the hit song “Riders in the Sky.” Apparently, on that basis, Muller made another painting of the same title and sold it to Nevada Senator George Malone about 1950-1951 (Nevada Senator 1947-1959).
The question begs: Who or what is the true source of this story? Muller? Jones? Or is there another possibility? – one that no story so far found suggests – a simple suggestion, that the story is one of “cowboy legend,” perhaps going back one hundred years or more. In this regard, I began a search of all my extensive “cowboy” library – all the books that are basically pre-1935. I’ve got dozens – and the reason is simple – I love Western music and stories, and that genre was a hot topic in the mid twenties to mid-thirties.
With books of cowboy songs and poetry such as the many editions of John Lomax’s “Cowboy Songs” (1910 and future editions, where Lomax listened to cowboys songs on the trails, in the saloons and at campfires all over the West, recording their words and music for posterity); Arthur Chapman’s “Out Where the West Begins” (1916); H.H. Knibbs “Saddle Songs” (1922), Curley Fletcher’s “Songs of the Sage” (1931); or Bob Fletcher’s “Corral Dust” (1934), one would think we might find a version of this now-legendary tale. But I didn’t, and I ran out of time to look deeper. This is a topic for another researcher – can you find a similar story in print before 1935? Including in Will James’ works? Others?
At first glance, and your mind tells you the title to this painting is “Riders in the Sky.” The reason is simple – the song, written by Stan Jones in Death Valley in 1947 , but not published until 1948, is an iconic cowboy song played by hundreds of groups since publication, first recorded by Burl Ives in February, 1945. A month later, in March, the song was recorded and released by Vaughn Monroe, and his version hit the top of the charts almost immediately, and by July 7th that year had broken all previous records, selling 1.8 million copies in the prior two months.
“But…” you say, “how could such a coincidence be possible?”
Easy. … Well … Sort of ….
Stan Jones said he was a cowboy in interviews. He wasn’t. He openly stated that he made money doing Rodeo events. But he never discussed details. There is no record of this, whatsoever. I’ve listened to and read many interviews with Stan Jones about “Riders in the Sky.” He changes the stories as often as he changed his socks. Sounds to me more like a cowboy weaving a web into a naive interviewer’s queries. Here are a few examples:
“When I was a young boy in Texas, an old Indian friend told me of a story of the last roundup…. (make up the rest, it has several different endings) or…
“an Old cowpoke took me to the top of a mountain and told me the story….
Even the storyteller for the History Channel piece on Stan Jones and the song admitted at the end of his televised piece that Jones offered many different stories for the “source” of the song. The only part of any of the stories that is somewhat consistent was that he said he wrote it in Death Valley, or at least finished it there, after August,1945. Even Stan Jones biographer Michael Ward noted that Stan “freely embellished the truth, a trait that Stan sopped up and exercised with unabashed skill as an adult.”
But how did he get the idea? Why the subterfuge?
Ward’s outstanding biography on Jones followed his life through interviews with Stan’s wife and many of his friends and various letter archives. From these we learn that most of what we read in the internet biographies is, as a cowpoke would say, “hooey.” Jones was born in Arizona, and early in childhood ran into a real cowpuncher, Levi “Capp” Watts (1860-c1930s), an old stinky cowboy from Texas. Its not completely clear, but it appears Jones met Watts when he was about ten, when Watts was living in a hillside dugout outside of Douglas, Arizona. “Watts was best known locally for his uncanny talent for failing to ever rendezvous with a bar of soap.” Over time, Watts shared various versions of the “cowboys in the sky” and “ghost riders” stories.
While Jones says he retained the story, there is a better than even chance that it was an old cowboy legend out of Texas. After all, Texas was a key part of the original way-out West, early American cattle territory. When I worked in Live Oak and Bee Hive Counties on a uranium project in about 1980, I ran into an old boy in a cowboy hat in his 1952 Chevy. He asked me to supper (not “dinner”) on his ranch that night, and I obliged. The “driveway” was a long dirt road, about half mile long. Over supper he told me his family had been cattle ranching on that very land since the 1830’s, and he had some mighty tales to tell! I don’t know if I heard the “ghost riders” tale, but in later years, when I found the papers and archive of Nevada Governor John Sparks (1843-1908), another big-time Texas, and later Nevada cattle rancher, I immediately knew he would have had another huge raita full of stories.
So – we may have to accept that Jones got the idea from Capp Watts, a Texas cowpoke. But was it originally a cowboy legend? Undoubtedly so. Why the subterfuge? You already know the answer - “It makes a good story.”
But there is a tiny crossover between Jones and Nevada. In July, 1944, Jones and his new wife Olive moved to Fallon, a Navy base in the desert. While active in local theatre, he only lasted until December, when a position opened up at Mt Rainier National Park, a position only open to veterans. Within two months, he requested a transfer to Death Valley National Park, which was granted … but not before Olive gave him a brand new Martin O-17T guitar.
Once in Death Valley in August, 1945, Jones found his calling – both as a Park Ranger, and as a songwriter and performer. He met another musical couple, and the families spent nights singing and playing songs at Wild Rose, Stovepipe Wells, Cow Creek, and probably the Furnace Creek Inn, though playing there was not mentioned in the Ward biography. It was during this time that he began working on “Ghost Riders” and other songs such as the “Burro Lullaby” and “Cowpoke.”
For the few months that Jones was in Nevada, did he venture to Reno, to Nevada’s famous cowboy bar and restaurant, the Town House? Was it here that Jones saw the spectacular Muller painting so proudly displayed in the dance hall, and did it bring back childhood memories of the stories he was told by Capp Watts? We may, and probably will never, know.
Portions of Jones’ life remain a bit of a mystery. He remained in Douglas, Arizona through his late teen years (through 1932) then moving to LA and Petaluma through 1934. That December, he joined the Navy. He was given a permanent medical discharge in November, 1935. He and his wife drifted between LA and San Francisco through 1938, then up to Oregon, now divorced and remarried in 1939, where he remained through 1943.
There appears little time during this private stretch of time for rodeos, but if he did ever ride rodeo, this would have been the period. There is no mention of any rodeo activity by Jones in the Ward biography, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. He could easily have drifted off to “make money,” as Jones said in many interviews. But proof is absent.
The Reno Rodeo May Be the Key
The 1930s-1940s was the key time for the development of the Western Rodeo, and Reno was at the very center of it. Nevada was the mainstay of cowboy country, and the world knew it. Even as late as 1961 when the movie “Misfits” was released, Clark Gable made “Mustangin’” a household word.
The Town House was the nightlife hotspot in Northern Nevada. When Charley Rennie took over, he turned it into a classic nightlife club with a distinctly western theme. At least twenty four Dan Muller western and cowboy paintings filled the walls. There was live music every night. The place became “Cowboy Central.”
The Reno Rodeo was founded in 1919, and guess who drew the artwork for the first two Reno Rodeo programs – you guessed it, Will James. By the time the 1930s hit, the Reno Rodeo was the biggest in America. “Cowboys from all parts of the world assembled here,” so said an article in the June 30, 1935 Nevada State Journal. There were 15 different events each day for three days centered on the July 4 holiday. The “purses” were substantial - $800 for “bucking horse” (about $19,000 today!), $500 for “Bulldogging”, and $300 each for calf and steer roping. But the serious cowboy events were not without some humor- the “wild cow milking contest” drew dozens or more entrants and hours of laughter.
By 1941, the Reno Rodeo had reached heights never dreamed of. The parade alone had up to 1,000 horses, and took over two hours, much like today’s “Rose Parade” in Pasadena, though the Reno event was nearly entirely equestrian in nature. It was the biggest rodeo ever held, and filled hotels for 25 miles.
With this size event and the lucrative cash prizes for more than 45 events, it seems possible He certainly loved music, and that’s where it was being played live. Is this when he saw Muller’s painting? Did he and Muller meet? These questions are left for other researchers.
The painting, The last Roundup, meanwhile, remains a true masterpiece of Western cowboy art.
^
Date:
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31. By placing a bid or otherwise participating in the auction, Bidder accepts these Terms and Conditions, and specifically agrees to the dispute resolution provided herein.
32. HWAC shall not be responsible for consequential damages, incidental damages, compensatory damages, or any other damages arising or claimed to be arising from the auction on any lot. Bidder’s sole remedy for any proven act or omission shall be rescission of sale and refund of the amount paid by Bidder.
33. Any claim, dispute, or controversy in connection with, relating to and/or arising out of the Auction, participation in the Auction, award of lots, damages of claims to lots, descriptions, condition reports, provenance, estimates, return and warranty rights, any interpretation of these Terms and Conditions, any alleged verbal modification of these Terms and Conditions and/or any purported settlement shall be exclusively heard by, and the parties consent to exclusive in personal jurisdiction of, the Superior Court of Washoe County, Nevada. The parties expressly waive any right to trial by jury. Any claim must be brought within one (1) year of the auction from which the claim arose or the claim is waived. In every case, the prevailing party shall be entitled to an award of its attorney’s fees and costs.