Book Club
The Art Newspaper’s Book Club shines a light on art books in their myriad forms and brings you exclusive extracts, interviews and recommendations from leading art world figures. Sign up to our monthly newsletter above
Mapplethorpe nudes, the NEA and the birth of America’s culture wars
We speak to the writer Isaac Butler about his book revisiting the battles over censorship and public funding in the US during the 1980s and 1990s
Ultimate reading lists
Interviews with writers
Features
‘A remarkably tenacious motif’: the many faces of Marilyn Monroe revealed in new book and show
Different artists’ takes on the film star are explored ahead of an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London
New book digs into the little-known gallery that brought Modern art to America
The publication's author on how it has taken decades of research to tell the story of the New York gallery, which exhibited artists such Picasso and Mondrian
How Martin Parr’s defining photobook made a splash 40 years ago
‘The Last Resort’, which will be republished later this year, is the subject of a new show at the late photographer’s foundation
‘The good, the bad and the ugly’: a short history of how artists depict the female body
The author Amy Dempsey talks about her new book exploring the tension between overexposure and invisibility
What is the art world reading?
Book extracts
In Pictures
June Book Bag: from the street art of JR to a behind-the-scenes look at the Venice Biennale
Our round-up of the latest art publications
How Andy Warhol’s textile and fashion work influenced his art
Three key takeaways from a new book that looks at the artist's designs for shop awnings, advertising illustrations, screen-printed clothes and more
An expert's guide to Marina Abramović: five must-read books on the performance artist
The best Abramović publications, from an intimate memoir to a collection of the artist’s aphorisms—selected by the curator Shai Baitel
May Book Bag: from a guide on entering the art world to a publication about artists influenced by Ovid’s Metamorphoses
Our round-up of the latest art publications
How the adoption of canvas in Venice changed the way artists painted
Four key takeaways from a new book about the innovative use of canvas in 16th-century Italy
An expert's guide to Tracey Emin: five must-read books on the British artist
The best Emin publications, from her searingly honest autobiography to a collection of revealing snapshots—selected by the Tate’s assistant curator Jess Baxter
April Book Bag: from a Matthew Wong catalogue to a history of dogs in art
Our round-up of the latest art publications
Pressing issues: the vital role of printmaking in the history of art
We speak to the author of a new book that looks at how making prints has been vital for many famous artists
Keep it in the family: how Johannes Vermeer’s paintings remained out of view for so long
In an exclusive extract from Andrew Graham-Dixon’s new biography, we learn how many of the Dutch Old Master's works stayed in one family for years
An expert's guide to Alexander Calder: six must-read books on the US sculptor
The best Calder publications, from a comprehensive two-volume biography to a children’s book about his moveable circus—selected by the curators Dieter Buchhart and Anna Karina Hofbauer
March Book Bag: from a Modigliani catalogue raisonné to a career guide for artists
Our round-up of the latest art publications
An expert's guide to John Constable: five must-read books on the British painter
The best publications to learn all about Constable, from a journey through the landscapes that inspired him to a children's activity book—selected by the curator Emma Roodhouse
A short guide to the hidden meanings in great paintings
An A to C extract from the glossary of Painted Mysteries, which deciphers common motifs and symbols in famous works
February Book Bag: from Tracey Emin’s conversations about painting to a catalogue of Lucian Freud’s drawings
Our round-up of the latest art publications
January Book Bag: from a book about Constable and the weather to a controversial Russian artist’s manifesto
Our round-up of the latest art publications
A taster of the British Museum's Hawaii show in three objects
The curator Alice Christophe delves into the catalogue and picks out some key objects ahead of the exhibition in London
How an artist and a writer forged a frank friendship—and a book
The author Olivia Laing and the painter Chantal Joffe tell us about collaborating on a new book detailing their creative exchanges
An expert’s guide to the Gothic: five must-read books on the topic
The best recent publications about the subject, from a book following the rebuilding of Notre-Dame cathedral to a Batman comic set in Barcelona—selected by the museum director and curator Annabelle Ténèze
December Book Bag: from a photographic record of a lost nightclub to the tale of an accidental art heist
Our round-up of the latest art publications
The best art books of 2025, as picked by The Art Newspaper’s editors
The publications that delighted our literary team this year, from important exhibition catalogues and overdue surveys to personal reflections and playful illustrations
The Rembrandt robber: five takeaways from an insider’s book on a notorious art thief
The security expert Anthony Amore provides insights into the curious case of Myles Connor, who stole Rembrandt’s Portrait of Elsbeth van Rijn
When Masha met Ragnar: Pussy Riot member’s life-changing encounter
In this extract from her new book, Maria "Masha" Alyokhina Alyokhina recalls her first meeting with the Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson
An expert’s guide to late Pablo Picasso: five must-read books on the second half of his career
The best publications about the Spanish artist's twilight years chosen by the curators of Late Picasso
November Book Bag: from a tome of Japanese printmakers to the first Nina Chanel Abney monograph
Our round-up of the latest art publications
‘Make a lot of bad work for as long as possible’: new book brings you top tips from artists
In Lydia Figes’s publication more than 50 successful artists share their wisdom on everything from defining success to dealing with galleries
How art social media accounts are being turned into books
Having lots of followers on Instagram does not guarantee a publishing deal but it helps
October Book Bag: from a myth-busting Chaïm Soutine biography to an anthology of Palestinian artists and writers
Our round-up of the latest art publications
An expert’s guide to Robert Rauschenberg: five must-read books on the US artist
The best publications to learn all about Rauschenberg, from his own “humorous and profound” writings to a book about his fruitful relationships with other artists—selected by the curator Michelle White
‘Ideas move through migration’: Charlotte Mullins tells us why she has taken a fresh look at art from the British Isles
The author's new publication charts the history of the UK and Ireland from the last Ice Age to today
New book looks at how the movies shaped the way we think about artists
We speak to the author of a publication that dissects the way artists from Van Gogh to Frida Kahlo have been immortalised on the silver screen