Charles Fracé

Charles Fracé (February 18, 1926 – December 16, 2005) was an American wildlife artist whose work was featured in more than 500 exhibitions, including a solo exhibition at the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Fracé painted over a hundred paintings from which limited edition prints were produced, which were consistently popular with collectors.

Over the next two decades, over 100 of Fracé's paintings were issued as limited edition prints, making him one of the most successful wildlife artists of all time. By the early 1980s, Fracé was described as "America's premier wildlife artist". A 1981 article described his "stature as a painter of the world's most beautiful animals is virtually unrivaled", and noted that "Fracé never paints an animal he has not seen for himself or touched with his own hand". He was commissioned to paint the official portrait of 9Lives mascot Morris the Cat in 1976, and by the National Retriever Club to paint their 1983 stamp print. His work was also profiled in magazines including U.S. Art and Wildlife Art News. In 1987, Fracé established The Fracé Fund For Wildlife Preservation, a charitable fund supporting wildlife organizations.