It’s thundering, charging, leaping, and whooping with the occasional moment of silent anticipation. To view Frank McCarthy’s artwork is akin to being right in the middle of the action. The artist creates heroic images of the American West that have captivated our imaginations for generations. Simply stated, there are few artists working today who can depict man and horse in action with the same degree of accuracy and intensity in a unqiuely dramatic Western landscape. Both critics and collectors alike admire McCarthy’s work, resulting in his induction into the distinguished Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame in 1997.

The power of McCarthy’s work comes from a childhood enjoying such books as Robin Hood and Treasure Island, with the vigorous accompanying illustrations of N.C. Wyeth and Arthur Rackham, his education at the Arts Student League and the Pratt Institue, and his many years as a commercial artist in New York.

In addition to book covers and magazines, his movie posters helped shape the identity of James Bond in extraordinary posters for Thunderball and others until McCarthy realized that he needed more creative freedom. In 1974, he moved West where he soon gained recognition from museums including the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and the Gilcrease Institute.

His book, The Art of Frank C. McCarthy, was published in 1992 and he marked his 25th anniversary as a leading print artist with The Greenwich Workshop in 1999.

Northern Arizona

Published by
The Greenwich Workshop
since 1974

Preferred medium: oil

Ambush

“My artistic approach is not to do a historical document, but more a portrayal of a scene that has happened many times in many places in the West. I want to give that scene as much visual impact as possible, so the detail and action are as accurate as I can make them.”

Western