Really should have been a better book. Considering it comes from the museum practically in existence because of Andy. If you are used to repros such as those in the Helga book, or practically any of his other books (including the really old ones) those in this tome will utterly disappoint you. A great collection of drawings is here it should be said. The size of the book is the problem, but more so it is the photography of the art that is truly horrible. Several images are blurry, and no it was not the drawing itself, and no they did not rely on decades old photos. The photo credit for the book goes to someone who currently works at the museum and all of these images were in the show, available for shooting.

The text, while informative, is really with a little searching, redundant info offered else where in Hoving's books and easy to find articles on the internet.

Am not accusing them of trying to cash in, the book / catalog really should have had a more attentive eye trained on it during production. And for the money one would have to spend on it here, expectations should really be high.

I have had great admiration for the work of Wyeth for years now, but this book blew me away with its reproductions of Wyeth's pencil drawings. While most are unfinished pencil studies done as preparatory work for his watercolors and temperas, his skill and technique are awe inspiring. He has the ability to realistically render both the texture of an object and the effect of light on that object without appearing overworked or labored. There is a freshness, immediacy, and sense of spontaneity in all of the drawings.

As someone who wishes to improve his own ability to draw, I found the unfinished nature of the drawings enlightening, allowing me to see the manner in which Wyeth works. It also highlights his ability to see the essentials of what interests him about a scene, and then capture that essence quickly and masterfully.