Wyoming Cattlemen by Frank Tenney Johnson

Wyoming Cattlemen - Frank Tenney Johnson - Bedroom Wall Art

Product Overview

From the first sketch to the final varnish, Wyoming Cattlemen is made by hand. Based on Frank Tenney Johnson's original. This romantic oil painting wall decor is crafted on artist-grade canvas for anyone who wants wildlife oil painting with the character of an original.

The Story Behind the Painting

1934
Oil on canvas
24 x 30 in. (61 x 76.2 cm.)
Private collection.

The present work likely depicts an area near Frank Tenney Johnson’s summer home and studio at Rim Rock Ranch, west of Cody, Wyoming.

Frank Tenney Johnson’s unique and earnest take on frontier life earned him the reputation as one of the most celebrated artists of the American West. Long celebrated for his nocturnes, in Wyoming Cattlemen, Johnson presents a daytime scene that embodies all of the qualities for which his work is beloved. Employing a broad spectrum of colors, Johnson awards his canvas with blazing blues in the sky, deep brownish-reds and purples in the canyons and green grass surrounding the cowboys. At center, two cowboys survey the landscape in a moment of pause while at work. With its brilliant use of color, composition and form, Wyoming Cattlemen is a testament to Johnson’s unparalleled ability as a first-hand documenter of life in the West.

Johnson was first exposed to the painting of Western subjects by his studies with horse painter F.W. Heine and Western artist George Lorenz, who "encouraged Johnson to record the disappearing frontier." (R. Saunders, The C.R. Smith Collection of Western American Art, Austin, Texas, 1988, p. 142) This encouragement, coupled with later studies at the Art Students League in New York where he made the acquaintance of Robert Henri and William Merritt Chase, gave his art a unique mood. After school, Johnson gained commercial success and popularity after a lucrative illustration commission from Field and Stream brought him to Colorado, where he was "entranced by the desert community of the Southwest." (RD. Stewart, The American West: Legendary Artists of the Frontier, Dallas, Texas, 1986, p. 175)

As in Wyoming Cattlemen, Johnson imbues his subjects with honesty over fanfare. In 1923, one critic noted of Johnson’s authentic, timeless depictions: “Johnson knows the West of yesterday and the West of to-day. For him the plains are rich with ghosts of prairie schooners, Indians, pack animals, and all the dim figures of the passing West. Always in his work there is a poetic depth of memory, a thrill of that old and virile West he loved. He paints the West of to-day with the same rich, intangible hint of yesterday in the brilliant strokes of his brush…Magically on his canvas past and present mingle.” (D. Harrington, “Frank Tenney Johnson, Cow-Puncher Artist,” The Outlook, vol. 133, no. 14, April 4, 1923, p. 615)

Our artists reproduce this wildlife composition in oil on canvas by hand, preserving the tonal range that makes wildlife oil painting so sought after for a bedroom.

How It Is Made

Trained artists work in stages — underpainting, mid-tones, highlights, and detail — using traditional oils on canvas. Because nothing is printed, every hand painted oil painting has its own subtle texture and depth.

What Is Included

• Every wildlife canvas is hand painted in oils; no mechanical or digital reproduction at any stage.
• Comes with a 2-inch unpainted margin on every side, ready for stretcher bars or a frame.
• No middlemen — we ship directly to you worldwide.
• Available canvas sizes for this hand painted oil painting: 20 X 24 in, 24 X 36 in, 30 X 40 in, 36 X 48 in, 48 X 72 in.
• Choose from standard sizes or request a custom dimension to fit your wall.
• Flexible shipping through DHL, UPS, FedEx, USPS and partner networks.
• Complimentary stretching over wooden stretcher bars; ask us about a custom frame.
• Before dispatch we email a digital proof so you can approve the finished canvas.

Wall Decor & Gifting

For bedroom wall art that does not feel generic, a painted wildlife canvas is hard to beat. It is a popular wildlife oil painting pick for new homeowners and a durable alternative to seasonal poster art.

Shipping & Guarantee

In short: Wyoming Cattlemen - Frank Tenney Johnson - Bedroom Wall Art combines a romantic composition, a 100% hand painted oil painting process, and the flexibility of made-to-order canvas sizes — a dependable choice for wildlife oil painting and bedroom wall art.