Most of Moran's known field sketches are reproduced here.  Their range encompasses summary contour drawings of the spectacular topography of the American West, luminous watercolors that simultaneously fix local color and evoke the artist's rapturous response to the natural world, and fully realized works that nevertheless preserve the intensity of Moran's firsthand experience of his plein air subjects. No serious formal study of Thomas Moran can be made without reference to this volume.