Book Club
Who is Octavia Butler and why is the art world obsessed with her writing?
The late author’s sci-fi stories have inspired artists such as Alberta Whittle, Candice Breitz, Toyin Ojih Odutola and Precious Okoyomon
Ultimate reading lists
Book extracts
In Pictures
Features
‘Don’t smudge’: Paula Rego gives a unique insight into her work as she is interviewed by leading artists
The artist's peers, including Tracey Emin and Marlene Dumas, asked the veteran Portuguese artist about different aspects of her artistic practice for a new book
Meet Blaise Cendrars: the one-armed poet who worked with Sonia Delaunay, Fernand Léger and Robert Doisneau
New overview brings Modernism trailblazer to the fore
What now? Lessons for the art world in the BLM and #MeToo era
In a new book Farah Nayeri says that “cancel culture” is nothing new, politics and art have always been intertwined—but now it is citizens, not kings and popes, who call the shots
‘Caravaggio was a major-league asshole’: the long tradition of scandal in art
According to Noah Charney’s new book, infamy in the art world—be it contrived drama to drum up publicity or genuine artistic rivalry—is as old as art itself
What is the art world reading?
Interviews with writers
August Book Bag: from Fourth Plinth artist Samson Kambalu’s memoir to a story of art through the ages minus the men
Our roundup of the latest and forthcoming art publications
The best art books for summer 2022—as recommended by artists, curators, museum directors and dealers
From artist biographies and essay collections to a dystopian novel, surf culture and a rock’n’roll autobiography
July book bag: from a major Piet Mondrian biography to the Bechers’ pioneering industrial photographs
Our roundup of the latest art publications
The sensory language of paint, from Matisse banishing blue to Rococo’s love affair with pink
In her new book, Chloë Ashby explores the power of colour in art. Here, she takes us on a whirlwind tour and recommends four other fascinating new books on colour
An expert's guide to Raphael: five must-read books on the Italian Old Master
All you ever wanted to know about Raphael, from a page-turner monograph to a tome of his “irresistible” drawings—selected by the art historian David Ekserdjian
Brazilian kinetic and optical art pioneer Abraham Palatnik surveyed in visually remarkable book
The monographic publication Enchantment/Experimentation coincided with an extensive exhibition organised by Galeria Nara Roesler in New York this year
June book bag: the marvels of marble, the latest on Marina Abramović and the memoir of forgotten dealer Berthe Weill
Our roundup of the latest art publications
Old Master meets YBAs: James Cahill tells us all about his debut novel
The author explains why his new coming-of-age novel is set against the backdrop of the 1990s art world and what drew him to the paintings of the titular Tiepolo
An expert's guide to Piet Mondrian: four must-read books on the Dutch artist
All you ever wanted to know about Mondrian, from a comprehensive biography to a book about his various studios—selected by the curator Ulf Küster
What is the life of a muse like? Not as amusing as you may think
The subjects of great works of art have not always led the romanticised life we imagine, as examples from a new book show
May Book Bag: from the Hirshhorn Museum’s collection catalogue to Tom of Finland’s sketches of bulging, er, muscles
Our roundup of the latest art publications
An expert's guide to Louise Bourgeois: five must-read books on the French-American artist
All you ever wanted to know about Bourgeois, from the artist in her own words to an illustrated book for children—selected by the Hayward Gallery’s Ralph Rugoff and Katie Guggenheim
In Pictures | Ukraine before the 2022 Russian invasion, from holidaymakers in Odesa to the frontlines of Mariupol
Mark Neville’s new photobook—of images taken over the past six years—is a call to action that has been sent to hundreds of politicians and other influential people around the world
Take a fresh look: a new little history of art offers a global perspective
In her forthcoming book, Charlotte Mullins aims to challenge the “myopic prioritisation of male Western art” in earlier art history publications
April Book Bag: from the first Dennis Creffield monograph to a book of ‘rising stars in contemporary art’
Our roundup of the latest art publications
Five of the best recently published art-inspired novels
Our pick of new fiction with an art theme, from seasoned writers to exciting newcomers
March Book Bag: from a history of protest art to a limited edition book about Picasso in exile
Our roundup of the latest art publications
Q&A | Osman Yousefzada on wrapping a department store and having early works destroyed by his family
The artist and designer tells us about his new memoir, which details growing up in Birmingham and taking his mum to a museum for the first time to see his installation of her bedroom
Extract | Surrealism’s tricky global transformation
The art historian Partha Mitter looks at Surrealism’s uneasy relationship with colonialism and primitivism in this extract from a catalogue accompanying a new Tate show about the movement’s worldwide impact
February Book Bag: from Bernini ‘cementing his position as Baroque Rome’s dominant artist’ to a compendium of what makes artists tick
Our roundup of the latest art publications
An expert's guide to Picasso's Blue Period: five must-read books on the Spanish painter's early career
All you ever wanted to know about Picasso’s Blue Period, from the definitive early biography to the journals of his “first great love”—selected by the curator Susan Behrends Frank
Extract | Leonardo da Vinci’s drawing and painting tips
The Old Master’s advice is among the fascinating facts and illuminating anecdotes gathered in a new compendium called Artifacts
Extract | What should we do about paintings with racist titles?
In a new book of cultural essays, the Canadian novelist Esi Edugyan ponders whether we should change offensive names given to art—and what that might say about us
January Book Bag: from Marina Abramović’s instructions for rebooting your life to Paul Nash’s little-known design work
Our roundup of the latest art publications
An expert’s guide to Georgia O’Keeffe: five must-read books on the American painter
All you ever wanted to know about O’Keeffe, including a comprehensive biography, the artist’s “perfect” novice recipe book, and her letters to photographer Alfred Stieglitz—selected by the curator Theodora Vischer
In Pictures | Niki de Saint Phalle in the 1960s
The book, coinciding with a retrospective exhibition at the Menil Collection, explores the “shooting paintings” Saint Phalle made between 1961 and 1963, called Tirs, and other areas of her practice
Q&A | New children’s book delves behind the scenes of the art world
Doro Globus, the managing director of David Zwirner Books, tells us why she decided to write a book highlighting the many jobs that make a great exhibition
Who read what in 2021? The art world shares its top tips
Leading directors, curators and artists reveal their favourite books of the past year
December Book Bag: Ai Weiwei spills the beans, a short history of Black British art and all of Leon Kossoff’s paintings
Our roundup of the latest art publications
Marcel Duchamp monograph released more than 60 years after it first appeared in print
Historic texts by critic Robert Lebel in facsimile edition explore how the conceptual art pioneer adopted his female alter ego and cemented his reputation in America