William Tylee Ranney was a genre painter known for his hunting pictures, western subjects, and historical scenes. Ranney served in the Texas army in 1836, in the fight for independence from Mexico. The nine months he spent in Texas inspired many of his later paintings.
William Tylee Ranney (May 9, 1813 – November 18, 1857) was a 19th-century American painter, known for his depictions of Western life, sporting scenery, historical subjects and portraiture. In his 20-year career, he made 150 paintings and 80 drawings, and is considered the first major genre painter to work in New Jersey, and one of the most important pre-Civil War American painters. His work is on display in several museums across the United States. One of his contemporaries opined, "A specimen of Ranney is indispensable wherever a collection of American art exists."