Books

Booksreview

Saints and stories: vast book reveals the history of the Renaissance altarpiece

This in-depth survey suggests that the development of Italian church altarpieces can be understood through the themes of "icon" and "narrative"

Booksreview

Grand mural projects: a vital chapter in British art history

In her book, Lydia Hamlett unpacks the literary, cultural and political significance of “the animated wall”

Booksnews

Bronte childhood portraits at stake as UK museums and libraries race to save literary treasures

Sotheby’s has postponed auction of extraordinary Honresfield Library as a consortium seeks £15 million to buy it

Booksreview

Magnificence of mosques and their contents revealed in book created by 'dream team' of Saudi and Egyptian museums

Exploration of the Islamic building through its decorations and objects fills a gap in the field

An expert’s guide to Nam June Paik: five must-read books on the Korean-American artist

All you ever wanted to know about Paik, from a “deep dive” into a single work to the best biography—selected by the curators Rudolf Frieling and Andrea Nitsche-Krupp

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In Pictures | Barkley L. Hendricks unseen photographs gathered in new publication

The US artist’s images are joined by an extract from the book looking at how aspects of his painting and photography overlapped

Book Clubinterview

Q&A | What artists wear and why it matters

A new book by the fashion critic Charlie Porter explores how what artists choose to wear can tell us about the multiple roles of clothing in society

Booksreview

A masterclass in activism: What artists today can learn from ACT UP’s response to the Aids crisis

A new book by Sarah Schulman describes how the radically democratic and fast acting group grabbed the public’s attention and held politicians and institutions accountable

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In Pictures | Kara Walker's private archive of works on paper published in new book

The publication is released ahead of an exhibition of the US artist's works at the Kunstmuseum Basel this summer

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In Pictures | Gio Ponti’s greatest designs, from chairs to churches

A new book looks at the life and work of the Italian architect and designer, famed for his Pirelli Tower and Superleggera chairs

An expert’s guide to Barbara Hepworth: five must-read books on the British sculptor

All you ever wanted to know about Hepworth, from a pictorial autobiography to a collection of her poems, notes and transcripts—selected by the curator and biographer Eleanor Clayton

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Sackler family: three takeaways from a new book about the dynasty’s rise and fall

The publication claims Nan Goldin may have been tailed by investigators and reveals how the Met lost out to the Smithsonian thanks to a lack of flattery from its director

Book Clubinterview

Q&A | How a new John Craxton biography began its life in a Soho bar following a funeral

The writer Ian Collins says that after his chance meeting with the British artist his “life changed forever”

David Hockney follows in Van Gogh’s footsteps, painting fleeting spring blossom

Martin Gayford’s book pays tribute to Britain’s greatest living artist before an exhibition at London’s Royal Academy

a blog by Martin Bailey
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Will the real Isabel Rawsthorne please stand up?

A new biography by Carol Jacobi explores the artist’s role in bringing the Paris scene to London and considers how frequent name changes and reinventions muddied her legacy

Book Clubinterview

Q&A | Guy Kennaway on how his comic novel was inspired by the art world taking itself too seriously

The Accidental Collector features a wealthy heiress, jet-setting dealers and a Swiss-owned mega gallery in Somerset… sound familiar?

An expert’s guide to David Hockney: five must-read books on the British artist

All you ever wanted to know about Hockney, from the best biography to the artist's “radical” investigations into art history—selected by the critic (and longtime friend) Martin Gayford

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Extract | The day Anthony van Dyck received ‘wise advice from the words of a blind woman’—the 17th-century artist Sofonisba Anguissola

New book by Jennifer Higgie gives astute insights into brilliant women artists shut out of art history

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Extract | How Sandro Botticelli brought Dante’s Divine Comedy to life

New book by Martin Kemp considers the impact of poet’s vision of divine light on artists such as Michelangelo and Titian

Booksreview

A Roman Raphael: how scholars view the Old Master at 500

A survey of books published on the artist's quincentenary shows that attention has shifted to his Roman period and tapestry designs

Book Clubinterview

Q&A | Why Alice Neel’s work has ‘extraordinary currency’ today

As a biography on the US painter is republished, its author Phoebe Hoban tells us why Neel’s work is more relevant than ever

An expert’s guide to Yayoi Kusama: six must-read books on the Japanese artist

All you ever wanted to know about Kusama, from a detailed study of her Infinity Mirror Room to illustrations for Alice in Wonderland—selected by the Gropius Bau director Stephanie Rosenthal

Basking in the reflected glory of the River Thames

The Thames is the inspiration for a number of new projects that celebrate the power of this mighty river and its ability to fuel imaginations

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In Pictures | Rothko Chapel’s 50th anniversary celebrated in new publication

The Abstract Expressionist Mark Rothko created 14 paintings for the chapel but did not live to see it completed

Booksnews

Calling all (digital) bookworms: virtual art book fair gives publishers a lifeline during the pandemic

Printed Matter's online venture offers new, rare and out of print publications alongside panels, trailers and prints