A book from this vibrant selection of art guides would make a great gift, or winter reading treat!
HOW TO ENJOY ART
Ben Street
‘Ben Street is one of the greatest communicators and writers on art. He will teach you everything you need to know. This book is an expert guide to looking at and understanding art. Beautifully put together and brilliantly written.’
Katy Hessel
MAKE IT MODERN: A HISTORY OF ART IN THE 20th CENTURY
Brandon Taylor
‘With admirable clarity and insight, Brandon Taylor takes his readers through the restless, revolutionary impulses of modernist art in all its daring complexity.’
Richard Cork
A LITTLE HISTORY OF ART
Charlotte Mullins
‘A fresh take on art history as we know it.’ Katy Hessel
‘An energetic, illuminating and wonderful book.’ Edmund de Waal
Art and Literature come together in this group of titles, featuring literary drawings, political satire and an astounding history of remarkable gardens and their eccentric designers.
FRANZ KAFKA: THE DRAWINGS
Edited by Andreas Kilcher
‘A sumptuous volume… As windows into Kafka’s elusive, elliptical imagination [his drawings] are fascinating.’
Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, Apollo Magazine
JAMES GILLRAY: A REVOLUTION IN SATIRE
Tim Clayton
‘Tim Clayton’s lavishly illustrated James Gillray: A Revolution in Satire describes not just the caricaturist’s life and tragic end as creeping insanity took hold, but also the bracing effect he had on the art of satire itself.’
Michael Prodger, The Times ‘Top 10 Art Books’
ENGLISH GARDEN ECCENTRICS
Todd Longstaffe-Gowan
Apollo Book of the Year 2022
‘Todd Longstaffe-Gowan has brought his encyclopaedic knowledge of the gloriously idiosyncratic gardens and garden makers of England to life in this sparkling text.’
Jinny Blom, House & Garden
Be inspired by any one of these books, focusing on creative life and the decorative arts.
FORTUNY: TIME, SPACE, LIGHT
Wendy Ligon-Smith
This book uncovers the extraordinary breadth of designer Mariano Fortuny, examining his Venetian workspaces, clothing designs, stage lighting inventions, and paintings.
KAFFE FASSETT: THE ARTIST’S EYE
Dennis Nothdruft
‘A sumptuous new book…Showcasing Kaffe’s incredible use of colour in his knitting, quilting and textile designs, the book is a feast for the eye, while interviews and essays explore his life and legacy.’
The Knitter Magazine
EVELYN & WILLIAM DE MORGAN: A MARRIAGE OF ARTS & CRAFTS
Margaretta S. Frederick
‘The dozen essays in this book detailing the lives and output of William De Morgan (1839-1917) and his wife, Evelyn, provide a fascinating record of the work of these two late-Victorian artists, both, in their different ways, anachronisms born out of time.’
Peyton Skipwith, Literary Review
Read about artists, their creative process, and impact – from performance art to portraiture.
CAROLEE SCHNEEMANN: BODY POLITICS
Lotte Johnson
This book traces the feminist icon Carolee Schneemann’s prolific six-decade output, spanning her remarkably diverse, transgressive, and interdisciplinary expression.
GLYN PHILPOT: FLESH & SPIRIT
Simon Martin
Bringing together paintings, drawings and sculptures, this new book on modern British artist Glyn Philpot looks at the artist’s development from Edwardian society portraits to his shift to a radically modernist style in the 1930s.
NONCONFORMERS: A NEW HISTORY OF SELF-TAUGHT ARTISTS
Lisa Slominski
An international group of contributors addresses topics such as the development of the Black Folk Art movement in America and l’Art Brut in France, the creative process of self-taught artists working outside of traditional studios, and the themes of figuration, landscape, and abstraction.
From familiar town landmarks to awe-inspiring palaces and places of worship, our architectural surroundings take many forms. Choose your niche with any of these excellent books.
ST JAMES’S PALACE: FROM LEPER HOSPITAL TO ROYAL COURT
Simon Thurley
‘Thurley & co. chart this rollercoaster history with scholarship and flair, while Yale’s collaboration with the Royal Collections Trust means the inclusion of some delightful and unfamiliar illustrations… With this book, the accidental palace takes its place with the best of them.’
Adrian Tinniswood, The Sunday Telegraph
PEVSNER ARCHITECTURAL GUIDE: SURREY
Charles O’Brien
A newly expanded volume on England’s preeminent ‘Home County’, exploring its mix of rural and urban architecture as well as its many major historic buildings.
Not interested in Surrey in particular? Find the Pevsner Guide for your county.
THE STORY OF ARCHITECTURE
Witold Rybczynski
‘A calm, gentlemanly and intelligent book…This is a book with deep pilings of knowledge supporting a facade of avuncular charm…It has so much humane warmth that even modestly chilly rebukes seem out of place.’
Stephen Bayley, Spectator.
Offering the opportunity to revisit a favourite show long after it has ended, or sample an exhibition you can’t see in person, these beautiful catalogues stand alone as art history books in their own right.
LUCIAN FREUD: NEW PERSPECTIVES
Daniel F. Herrmann; With contributions by Paloma Alarcó, David Dawson, Tracey Emin, Chantal Joffe, Christina Kennedy, Jutta Koether, Maria H. Loh, Nicholas Penny, Gregory Salter, Jasper Sharp and Andrew Wilson
Marking the 100th anniversary of Freud’s birth, this publication accompanies the first major exhibition of his work. Presenting fresh perspectives on his paintings, it introduces Freud to a new generation of scholars and enthusiasts – demonstrating his lasting international importance.
This National Gallery London exhibition is on show until 22 January 2023
SONIA BOYCE: FEELING HER WAY
Emma Ridgway and Courtney J. Martin
The first major publication to explore the work of Sonia Boyce, one of Britain’s most exciting contemporary artists, includes her newest and most ambitious work to date, commissioned by the British Council for the Venice Biennale.
Following on from the Venice Biennale, where Boyce was awarded the Golden Lion prize, the exhibition will next be on show at the following:
Turner Contemporary in Margate, Feb 2023
Leeds Art Gallery, May 2023
THE TUDORS: ART AND MAJESTY IN RENAISSANCE ENGLAND
Elizabeth Cleland and Adam Eaker; With contributions by Marjorie E. Wieseman and Sarah Bochicchio
A fascinating new look at the artistic legacy of the Tudors, revealing the dynasty’s influence on the arts in Renaissance England and beyond.
Exhibition Schedule:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
(October 10, 2022–January 8, 2023)
The Cleveland Museum of Art
(February 26–May 14, 2023)
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
(June 24–September 24, 2023)
Main illustration by Mat Pringle, from A Little History of Art
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