The Crossing
$350.00
Editorial View
The Gallery's Perspective
You can feel the thunder of hooves and the heat of dust in this dramatic scene—McCarthy places you at the edge of a stampede where a single, luminous white buffalo stands unmistakably apart from the dark herd. The contrast between the white animal and the surrounding browns immediately creates a focal point of rarity and awe; it reads both as a physical presence and a kind of talisman within the landscape. The riders, drawn taut with motion and intent, lean forward with bows raised, their movement and the scattering dust amplifying the sense of urgency and danger. McCarthy’s palette favors warm earth tones and a clear, golden sky that together suggest late afternoon light, lending the scene a luminous, almost mythic quality. Fine details—the textured fur, the strained muscles of horse and rider, and the layered planes of animals—make the moment feel palpably immediate. There’s a tension here between the hunt’s energy and the quiet dignity of the white buffalo, a mix of drama and reverence that lingers after you step back from the canvas.
The Artwork
About In Pursuit of the White Buffalo ANNIVERSARY EDITION
In Pursuit of the White Buffalo<br> ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Sioux hunters pursue a rare white buffalo, its robe considered “big medicine” to be passed reverently from generation to generation and could command the price of 10 to 15 horses. Estimates based on hide trader’s records indicate that a white bison occurred only once in every five million animals. Plains Indians trained their best horses to hunt buffalo. But the white buffalo was elusive, often seeming to be sheltered by the rest of the herd as if the others had an instinctive sense that its color made it somehow special. These Sioux hunters may be close but the outcome is far from certain.
Collector Details
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About the Collection
Frank McCarthy’s Western art is defined by its action-packed compositions and cinematic realism, capturing the untamed energy of the American frontier. His paintings explode with movement, featuring cowboys in high-speed chases, Native American warriors in battle, and intense historical Western imagery. McCarthy’s use of dramatic lighting and precise detail enhances the narrative storytelling within each piece, making his work feel like a frozen frame of a grand Western epic. With a background in illustration and film poster design, his art carries a distinctly cinematic quality, elevating cowboy illustrations and historical action scenes to museum-quality fine art.
Artist Signature
Signed by the artist
This piece is artist signed and includes a Certificate of Authenticity.
Image Rights
Image copyright © 2026 by Frank McCarthy.
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Authenticity & Documentation
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Frank McCarthy knew from an early age that his passion was art, copying from his favorite comic strips. Encouraged by his parents and art teachers, he enrolled at fourteen in New York s Art Students League, studying first under George Bridgeman and then under Reginald Marsh. After high school graduation, he studied for three years at Brooklyn s Pratt Institute with a major in illustration. Following his studies, McCarthy embarked on his art career as a commercial illustrator in New York City. He painted illustrations for most of the paperback book publishers, magazines, movie companies and advertisements. He created works that became posters for such movies as the James Bond series. Frank McCarthy s talents were highly sought-after by art directors enabling him to work as a free lance illustrator for many years. His art career spanned over 50 years, beginning with a request for a western cover for a magazine by an art director. He left the world of commercial art in 1968, and began his fine art career after moving to Sedona, Arizona. Frank McCarthy s dynamic paintings frequently featured the people of the west with a special emphasis on the Plains Indian, mountain men and cavalry that comprised the lore and lure of the Old West. Appropriately entitled the "Dean of Western Action Painters," Frank McCarthy s art was unsurpassed for its motion, drama and absolute attention to accuracy and detail. Highly collected and frequently imitated, Frank McCarthy s works were treasured throughout the world as classic examples of contemporary Western Art. Retrospective showings of Frank McCarthy s paintings have been held at the Museum of the Southwest, Midland, Texas; the R.W. Norton Museum in Shreveport, La.; the Thomas Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Ok.; and in 1992, at the Cowboy Artist of America Museum (now known as National Center for American Western Art) in Kerrville, Texas. Frank McCarthy was invited to join the prestigious Cowboy Artists of America organization in 1975 and was an active member in the CAA group for 23 years. He was inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame in 1997 Three books of his paintings have been published-The Art of Frank C. McCarthy, Frank C. McCarthy, Fifteen Anniversary commemorative and The Old West, a leather-bound Collector s Edition. More than 100 limited edition art prints of his paintings have been published since 1974 by The Greenwich Workshop. McCarthy passed away in 2002 at his home of 30 years in the beautiful red rocks of Sedona, Arizona.
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