And YMMV, but for me, the art was and has remained a giant roadblock to enjoying the RC.
There are some suboptimal pieces in the RC, but there are some very nice pieces, as well.
The table of contents page has a line of warriors waiting to sign up to join an adventuring company (presumably). The guys doing the interviews look tired and a little worried.
Several characters show up multiple times, in different situations. Even the orcs, who seem to be chasing after a couple of PCs (who have hidden in a pond, breathing through reeds), are shown being surprised in a cave by a monster later in the book. There are stories there—just snippets of stories—presented in the artwork.
There is a girl who is staring wide-eyed at some jewelry in a case, and ignoring the smoldering, skeletal remains of her party members who were blasted by the trap on the case (at least, that’s how I interpret the scene).
A sheik is administering a healing potion to a hurt comrade. An Aztec warrior steps into a room filled with treasure, but does not see the imp-like creature hiding behind him.
A knight riding a winged horse is flying toward a dragon, lance at the ready.
And a magic user is using a spell to thwart a beholder’s attack.
That’s just off the top of my head.