Customer Reviews

Capturing Nureyev: James Wyeth Paints the Dancer

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Jamie Wyeth truly captures the spirit of Nureyev! The essays by Barnes, Phyllis Wyeth/Larsen (with intimate photographs by Susan Gray) and Lauren Raye Smith are enlightening, informative and truly moving.

This is a bit different from many art books. The artist James Wyeth asked dancer Rudolf Nureyev if he would pose for a portrait. Whereas Nureyev initially declined, later he accepted the invitation and Jamie Wyeth developed over 30 preliminary mixed media drawings of the dancer before completing the final oil painting of the artist. The book includes these 30 drawings, the final oil, and a series of mixed media drawings that appear to be derived from photographs of the dance on stage. I found the work to be highly compelling for Nureyev was a strikingly handsome man with extremely strong facial features that Wyeth never played down or softened. Possibly the most subdued work in the book is the final oil painting, with all the subtle tones and textures of a Thomas Eakins painting. However, it is the wildest and most dramatic drawings that seemed to capture the personality of Nureyev. With wild hair and dramatic black eye-liner, some images capture the androgynous aspect of Nureyev. Most of the preliminary drawings are black and white chalk or conti-crayon on yellow ochre or burnt sienna pastel paper. However, often gouache is also used to dramatic effects on the works. I recommend the book to fans of Nureyev but also for young artists who may need examples of the pains and plans that a professional artist must undertake to derive the final selection of composition for a finished portrait. Wyeth is both controlled and then at times draws with wild abandon and his drawings are highly compelling.