The drawings by Alex Katz, reproduced here, are so very remarkable because we can literally look over the artist's shoulder. We see his art in a nascent state, which is a rare experience, indespensable to the understanding of his work.

In the more than 500 working drawings by Alex Katz reproduced here, we are able to look over the artist's shoulder at works in their nascent state--a rare experience essential to any understanding of the artist's oeuvre. Like a sculptor's preparatory drawings, these are the sketches of a painter who is not a draftsman but a painter; they are the raw material, revealing Katz's methods of looking and recording. Contours, overlappings, movements and attitudes are put to paper ever so quickly, with observation given top priority. Subject development, composition and memory are all elements that come about afterwards, when the artist takes up the paintbrush and moves to the canvas.