Herdsman driving cattle
Felix Octavius Carr Darley was one of America's most prolific 19th-century illustrators, essentially the visual storyteller who helped define the look of the Wild West for readers back East. In this energetic sketch, a rugged herdsman on horseback cracks a long whip, his face contorted in a shout as he wrangles a herd of cattle across the open plains. Darley was famous for his loose, dynamic style that made his illustrations feel like frozen moments of action rather than stiff portraits. He illustrated over 60 books, including classics by James Fenimore Cooper, helping Americans visualize their own frontier mythology.