The Crossing
$350.00
Editorial View
The Gallery's Perspective
A jolt of weather and instinct fills this scene — the sky’s sudden, electric violence gives the whole composition an urgent, breathless quality. McCarthy stages the scout half-turned on his galloping horse, muscles taut and cloak whipping, so you feel the panic and authority in the same gesture: a leader who must act quickly because the land itself seems to warn him. The dark, looming clouds and forked lightning dominate the upper plane, their cold, jagged light contrasting with the warmer tones of horse and figure to create a charged, cinematic moment. Look closely at the way the grasses are flattened and the horses’ limbs are caught mid-stride; these details make the flight believable and immediate. The wolf headdress and feathered accents anchor the scene in a specific cultural and ceremonial register without sentimentalizing it — they read as part of the scout’s identity and the story he carries. As a dramatic tableau, the work conveys respect for both human resolve and the larger forces of nature, leaving the viewer with a sense of awe and the uneasy recognition that some warnings must be heeded.
The Artwork
About When Omens Turn Bad ANNIVERSARY EDITION
When Omens Turn Bad<br> ANNIVERSARY EDITION
A Comanche war chief turns his raiding party back toward camp after encountering what his dreams have told him is a bad omen, a violent storm that sets the night sky on fire. The scout, known by his wolf headdress, looks wildly over his shoulder as he urges his horse to an even faster pace. Brave warriors, who would not flinch before a human enemy, were often awed by thunder and lightning, a force they could not control.
Collector Details
What to Know About This Piece
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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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