Perspective

While Andrew Wyeth: Autobiography is written primarily in Andrew Wyeth's own words, it is worth noting that the interviewer and compiler of the book was Thomas Hoving, a former director of MOMA, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Hoving was surrounded by the most important social figures in New York City and received three degrees from Princeton, also serving as New York City's parks commissioner. He helped to massively expand MOMA from 1967 to 1977 and started to write a number of books on art-related matters, including a number of biographical works, including Andrew Wyeth: Autobiography. The reader will learn little about Hoving, as the focus is on Wyeth, save that Hoving, despite the high art community, considers Wyeth very talented and worth writing on, which somewhat signals an individuality of taste. Hoving is also clearly an admirer of Wyeth, given his often lofty prose in the...