Frederick Brosen's luminous watercolor paintings of New York are truly a joy. With near photographic sharpness and detail, these urban landscapes capture the stillness and quiet beauty of the city. Familiar Manhattan streets and landmarks seem refreshed, and scenes generally devoid of people allow the eye to focus on the architecture and the quiet grandeur of both the broad avenues and the narrow backstreets. Ric Burns provides an appropriately glowing introduction, and Alan Feuer's essays, short character studies tied to particular buildings, add a human element. Brosen's art is to be savored, studied and lingered upon, enabling new details to emerge and overall appreciation to grow. ( )