BlogBook Club
What has the art world been reading during the coronavirus lockdown? Part two
Curators, directors and art historians tell us about the books they have been reading and revisiting
FeatureBook of the month
Reviewed: Warhol, A Life as Art by Blake Gopnik
Three Andy Warhol devotees give their take on the near-1000 page biography
FeatureBook Club
Tribal identity, Tories and Tracey Emin: Grayson Perry reveals (even more) in updated book
Extracts from the expanded monograph include how he was inspired by outsider art and the stresses of building a “Taj Mahal on the River Stour”
BlogBook Club
What has the Wallace Collection director Xavier Bray been reading during lockdown?
The art historian has been engrossed by a spy biography featuring art world personalities, and is taking his first steps with a book on ancient walking routes
BlogBook Club
What has the Whitechapel gallery chief Iwona Blazwick been reading during lockdown?
The London-based curator has been perusing publications on science fiction, avant-garde cabarets and all things witchy
ReviewBooks
Donald Judd’s work measured in time and place
Three publications explore the artist’s life through his writings, interviews and places of work
FeatureBook Club
The story of Ruth Asawa and the secret gift from her teacher Josef Albers
An extract and photographs from a new biography on the sculptor who studied at the famous Black Mountain College and was interned during the Second World War
Latest in Book Shorts
The story of an Irish family’s history and its porcelain service are woven together in this fascinating book
A catalogue demonstrates Boucher’s mastery of the 'Chinese' taste
The relationships of artists and their gardens are well illustrated in this book
Degas’ love of the Paris opera house is brought to the fore in this catalogue
A book of 19th-century snaps for armchair travellers to exotic locations
FeatureBook Club
The late Peter Beard on being the only photographer to capture Francis Bacon’s work in progress
An extract and images from the photographer’s re-released book
FeatureConservation & Preservation
Digital technologies allow us to create precise copies of artefacts—but what does this mean for the idea of 'authenticity'?
Online book demonstrates the groundbreaking work by Factum Foundation to create high-resolution facsimiles but also raises questions of value
BlogBook Club
What is the curator Hans-Ulrich Obrist reading during lockdown?
The artistic director of the Serpentine Galleries has been inspired by his daily walks and ‘animal interviews’ to revisit one of his favourite books about trees
BlogBook Club
What is the collector Eugenio Re Rebaudengo reading during lockdown?
The Turin-based art patron enjoys learning about artist rivalries and delving into the Francis Bacon catalogue raisonné, among other things
BlogBook Club
What is the curator Chrissie Iles reading during lockdown?
The Whitney Museum of American Art curator delights in learning about the global culture of the Middle Ages and finds lessons for the future in a Cauleen Smith monograph
BlogBook Club
What is the art world reading during the coronavirus lockdown?
Curators and directors tell us about their new favourite books as The Art Newspaper launches its Book Club
FeatureBooks
In an ever-mediated world, artists’ books offer an intimate encounter
Where print runs for trade art books have seen steady declines since the 90s, sales of artists’ books have stayed steady or risen—we look at why
NewsFundraising
Artist Katie Paterson raises money for domestic abuse victims at risk during coronavirus outbreak
For a charitable donation, the Scottish visual artist is selling 1,000 digital copies of one of her books based on the universe
ReviewBook Shorts
This small book tackles for the first time a very large subject: how relics were displayed in the Middle Ages
The way in which relics were presented determined what and how people thought of them, according to this publication of lectures
ReviewBook Shorts
This book makes an arresting argument for the foundations of modern art
The Hamburger Kunsthalle’s exhibition catalogue groups Tiepolo, Fragonard and Goya as forerunners of Modernism
ReviewBooks
Of fossils, prisms and volcanoes: the scientific and imaginative investigations of the polymath Goethe
This extensive volume explores the relationship between the German writer's visual imagination and his fascination with natural science
Newscoronavirus
LA Art Book Fair cancelled over fear of spread of coronavirus
Decision on MOCA event affects over 350 exhibitors from around two dozen countries
ReviewBooks
The image debate: new book looks at age-old question of figural representation in Islam
This collection of essays examines the Islamic treatment of figuration around the world, from pre-modern decoration to contemporary snowmen
ReviewBooks
Book offers broadest and deepest study of Nazi culture yet
This is the first publication to fully examine the cultural output of the Third Reich, which, unsurprisingly, failed to produce great art
ReviewBooks
Despite its 'hybrid' approach, the Met's catalogue on French painting lacks detailed analysis
When used together, the New York museum’s print catalogue and supplementary website on their 18th-century French works make an excellent initial resource but offer little new information
ReviewBooks
The case is made for connoisseurs and their role in art history
The practice of connoisseurship, which, the author Frédéric Elsig argues, is a skill that can be learned, is examined in relation to 15th-and 16th-century painting
NewsBooks
Monet's beloved pottery cat comes to life in children's book
Story directly inspired by The Art Newspaper’s article on the artists’s Japanese ornament, which sat in the dining room at his Giverny home, will be published in May
ReviewBooks
Revamped art book prize wants to become the Oscars of arts publications—is it succeeding?
A year on from its announcement, we look at whether the Richard Schlagman Art Book Awards is meeting its ambitions
ReviewBooks
Book on Bellini proves more philosophical than art historical
Scholarly analysis of 15th-century Venetian painter aims to bring his work into the 21st century
ReviewBooks
Born of hate and contempt, how the Bargello's extraordinary collection of medieval ivories came to be
Book tells the tale of how Italian museum amassed such a vast array of important sculptures thanks to Frenchman Louis-Claude Carrand
ReviewBooks
Redefining Botticelli—from Post-Modernism to soft porn
Does putting the Renaissance artist's work in a modern context enhance or diminish his art?
ReviewBooks
A neuroscientist's view: how Bacon's paintings shake up the nervous system
Publication focuses on what neuroscience and psychology bring to the table with the late artist's works
ReviewBooks
This was the most prolific year for Leonardo scholarship in history—here is a detailed guide to the best books
At least 250 volumes in European languages have been published in 2019, the year that saw the world commemorate 500 years since Leonardo da Vinci's death
ReviewThe Year in Review 2019
From the history of the festive putti to Arthur Jafa's hefty tome: the art world's favourite books of 2019
Regular contributors, scholars, curators and critics choose their favourite reads from the past year
ReviewExhibition catalogues
Vienna museum's Caravaggio and Bernini catalogue presents the artist's studio as a theatrical site
Exhibition at Kunsthistorisches on the two Baroque heavyweights helps to clarify the relationship between Roman painting and sculpture of the period
NewsBooks
Missing Leonardo link: writer discovers that Da Vinci's anatomy drawings were owned by Charles II
New book hopes research of papers belonging to the king's physician will lead to further "eureka" moments
ReviewBooks
Demanding artists and receptive architects in book about design and function of the studio
This book shows how, from the end of the 19th century to the Second World War, artists collaborated with architects to craft an image of themselves
ReviewBooks
‘If I don’t like your pictures, I can destroy everything': a photographer's intimate—but risky—shoots with Louise Bourgeois
In his new book the photographer Jean-François Jaussaud details how he gained the trust of the late French artist
BlogAdventures with Van Gogh
Methodical, well read and—above all—human: what we learn from the myth-busting edition of Van Gogh’s letters
A decade after the publication of Vincent's trove of correspondence, here is how the remarkable project has contributed to scholarship on his art
NewsAcquisitions
New York's Morgan Library receives ‘transformational’ trove of manuscripts and bindings
Bequest comes from New York collector Jayne Wrightsman, who amassed an 18th-century library to complement her celebrated French furnishings
NewsLeonardo da Vinci
New book on Leonardo’s Salvator Mundi aims to be a definitive study—but it's not the last word on the controversial painting
Ahead of the blockbuster at the Musée du Louvre, we get an exclusive first read of the publication written by Martin Kemp, Robert Simon and Margaret Dalivalle
ReviewBooks
Titan of Turin: Italy's greatest interior decorator receives definitive scholarly book
Bertrand de Royere provides a thorough examination of the life the 19th century decorator and furniture designer Pelagio Palagi
ReviewBooks
Back to scuola: book series provides accessible introduction to Italian and Northern Renaissance art
The five volumes offer a range of perspectives and chronological breadth for budding scholars of the field
NewsPolitics
'We want the Babylonian Palace of Tiglath-Pileser!': new book reveals Boris Johnson's thwarted vision for new V&A East
Nicholas Coleridge, the chairman of the Victoria and Albert Museum, tells how Boris laid down the law on his plans for the project
ReviewBooks
National Gallery definitively catalogues 'small but perfectly formed' collection of French 18th century paintings
Humphrey Wine’s lavishly illustrated book details the London museum's 60 authentic works and 12 replicas, copies or pastiches
ReviewBooks
'The guardian of Vincent’s legacy': new biography details devoted life of Van Gogh's sister-in-law Jo Bonger
Bonger's encounter with Trotsky and her tireless effort to preserve the artist's work are explored in the new book by Hans Luijten
ReviewMedieval art
Glam rock: alabaster was not medieval England's 'poor man's marble' new book finds
Used in high status projects and throughout the continent, Kim Woods's detailed study challenges misconceptions of the carving rock's status
ReviewBooks
A clever book for clever people: Marina Warner's sensitive artist essays dimmed by too many words
The brilliance of the scholar's examination of artists such as Paula Rego and Sigmar Polke is evident despite name dropping and verbose language
ReviewBooks
The scientific brotherhood: Pre-Raphaelite art put under the microscope
The Victorian artist group explored the connections between art and scientific observation to enhance art’s moral purpose
ReviewBooks
New catalogue presents virtuosity of Neo-Classicist goldsmith Luigi Valadier
Alvar González-Palacios’s book on the Italian decorator is a peak in his distinguished career
ReviewBooks
Fit for a king: book lays out the vast scale of the Orléans collection
The second Duke of Orléans’ assembly of his famous art collection may have been a covert preparation for seizing the throne of France
ReviewBooks
The Arts and Crafts special relationship: how the British movement permeated US design culture
Companion book to an exhibition at the University of Texas at Austin offers new dimensions on the vast subject
ReviewBook Shorts
This book gives a first-hand account of Second World War art and propaganda
A vivid account of the art arising from the experiences of the artist, George Plante
ReviewBooks
How Rheims Cathedral's destruction in the First World War had a happy ending
New book explores how the burnt cathedral created a 'profound intellectual rift' between Germany and France, then reconciliation
ReviewBooks
Agents of faith: the art of votive offerings
Bard Graduate Center's 25th anniversary exhibition considers devotional offerings across religions
ReviewBooks
Michelangelo for beginners, and a new view of the master’s bronzes
Three new books offer fresh angles on the Renaissance master
FeatureBooks
Book excerpt: William Kentridge reveals how Antoine Bourdelle inspired his work
In Jori Finkel's book It Speaks to Me, Kentridge discusses the sculpture in Johannesburg that first made him feel the power of art
ReviewBooks
What was the real purpose of the English country house library?
Mark Purcell's study explores 19th-century bibliomania and rejects the notion that books in historic libraries were "bought by the yard"
ReviewBooks
Coming out of one’s shell: new book explores overlooked mollusc art by naturalist's daughters
Martin Lister enlisted his daughters Susanna and Anna because of the unreliability of the best professional engravers
ReviewBooks
William Hunter and the enlightened art of science
A new publication brings together the Scottish surgeon's art collection for the first time in many years
ReviewJan Weenix
A family affair: three generations of Weenix showcased in two-volume magnum opus
The new book features newly discovered appendices, including the profligate Jan Baptist’s three-volume bankruptcy file
ReviewBooks
Book review | Recent archaeological finds on Keros bring new authoritative scholarship on Cycladic art
Excavation campaigns on the Greek island have raised questions about our knowledge of Cycladic art and culture
NewsFrieze New York 2019
Amassing a Frieze Library, book by book
Galleries donate publications for a collection that will go to the Metropolitan Museum
NewsLeonardo da Vinci
London's National Gallery defends inclusion of Salvator Mundi in Leonardo show after criticism in new book
The curator’s attribution to the Renaissance master helped Christie’s achieve a world record price for the painting
ReviewBooks
Bruegel: great research, great exhibition—shame about the catalogue
The Kunsthistorisches's Bruegel exhibition catalogue fails to include any scholarly information
Podcast
David Bailey in focus, plus Picasso biographer John Richardson remembered
We meet the photographer David Bailey at his London studio to discuss his new book and we talk with Gijs van Hensbergen about John Richardson, who died aged 95 last week. Produced in association with Bonhams, auctioneers since 1793.
ReviewRenaissance
#Menudetoo: naked bodies in the Renaissance explored at the Royal Academy of Arts and in three new publications
Examining the many meanings—and inanities—ascribed to the unclothed human body in Western art
NewsPhotography
Novelist Orhan Pamuk unveils photographs of Istanbul he took from his balcony
On show in Turkey this month, the images are an ode to the Nobel Prize-winning author’s hometown
ReviewJasper Johns
Complex, ingenious, emotional: the concluding volumes of Jasper Johns’s catalogues raisonnés
Two further volumes comprehensively cover the artist's drawings and monotypes
ReviewBooks
Clement Greenberg: still waiting for sympathetic treatment
On the 110th birthday of the great American critic, we delve into our archive and discover that writings about him are either too academic or too sensationalist
ReviewBooks
Close study of fashions in medieval manuscripts is key to understanding interactions of literature and dress
Book of illuminations show various fashions that shed light on literary styles
FeaturePhotography
Edward Woodman: the light and space of a golden era
UK retrospective freeze-frames often ephemeral works from the 1980s and 1990s
NewsMichelangelo
Rothschild Bronzes definitely by Michelangelo, new book claims
Pair of nude males, acquired by the family in 1877, last sold at auction in 2002
PreviewBooks
A love letter to a grittier, punk-accented New York
Chris Stein, Blondie co-founder, presents a book of photographs from the 1970s and 80s
PreviewBooks
Witches, cannibals and murderers: the stories behind some of the Musée d’Orsay’s most violent works of art
In his new book The Orsay Murder Club, the art historian Christos Markogiannakis examines the horrors of the Paris museum’s collection
CommentCaravaggio
Discovery in a Toulouse attic is no Caravaggio
There are too many oddities in the painting discovered in France five years ago
Jonathan Jones