Books

An expert’s guide to Paula Rego: six must-read books on the Portuguese-British artist

All you ever wanted to know about Rego, from the best catalogues to a behind-the-scenes dive into her studio—selected by her son Nick Willing

Booksreview

A deep dive into the history of China’s art market

From the devastation of the Cultural Revolution to the transformation of the contemporary art scene

Booksreview

Contested prospect: two new books see the Parthenon through the eyes of a legal expert and a lifelong scholar of Greek history

The great temple to Athena has emerged from the vicissitudes of earthquakes, war, looting and rebuilding to be caught up in a monumental restitution debate

The Bloomsbury Group, re-examined through their garments

A new book and UK exhibition by Charlie Porter explores the sartorial choices of Virginia Woolf, Vanessa Bell and the rest of the Charleston set

Booksreview

The life of Elisabetta Sirani—‘the best brush in Bologna’—explored in new publication

Despite meticulously documenting her own career, the artist was largely forgotten in the centuries after her death

Book Clubinterview

Coco Fusco on her new monograph, her activism and why she remains sceptical of the art world

The artist also discusses her “meditation on death”, a film shot around and above Hart Island in the US

Booksreview

The genius of Germany’s medieval carvers

Wood has long been deep in the German psyche, as seen in the work of the country’s master sculptors

Book Clubfeature

How almost meeting Alberto Giacometti the week he died inspired a new biography

A 60-year “obsession” began when Michael Peppiatt set out for Paris with a letter of introduction from Francis Bacon

An expert’s guide to Roy Lichtenstein: five must-read books on the American Pop artist

All you ever wanted to know about Lichtenstein, from an encyclopaedic career survey to a collection of his unexpectedly witty mirror paintings—selected by the art dealer Irving Blum

Collector David Walsh's subterranean Mona museum expanding to house 'dream library'

The new space at the Tasmanian institution will also include other “treasures” according to Walsh's wife, curator and artist Kirsha Kaechele

Bookspreview

Our picks for the autumn: new art books out soon

Jacqueline Riding, our books editor, selects some of the tempting titles scheduled for publication in the coming months

Booksreview

Charting the transformation of British studio ceramics

This comprehensive catalogue of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection from 1900 to now is a joy to behold

Book Clubfeature

‘We never even bid one dollar’: Sheikha Al-Mayassa discusses Salvator Mundi and controversy around Damien Hirst’s foetus works in new book

An extract from a new publication about collectors by Dani Levinas features rare insights from the chair of Qatar Museums

Book Clubinterview

The Redstone Press founder Julian Rothenstein explains the benefits of being a small publisher and why he has cut back on fonts

The designer and editor also reveals the famous writers he will be collaborating with for the next editions of his popular diary series

Booksreview

Book explores how museums can deal with colonial acquisitions and other problematic issues

A level-headed survey of the rise and fall of anthropological and ethnographic collections and what their futures may hold

Booksreview

Lively biography of Jim Ede puts visionary creator of Kettle’s Yard in the frame

The publication explores the collector’s gift for friendship, but is oddly reticent about the man himself

Booksreview

Shades of meaning: a new publication looks at how Britain moved into the age of technicolour

A thoughtfully researched book ranges from chromatic imperialism to race and the BBC’s “colour problem”

Booksreview

New book details how Alfredo Boulton’s photography helped define an artistic history of Venezuela

The photographer and historian documented the country’s art back to the pre-Hispanic period

Book Clubinterview

The co-founder of luxury art publisher Assouline on why its books ‘are really haute couture’ and how they will ‘never’ go digital

Prosper Assouline also tells us about doing everything in-house and how 80% of a book is what is on the outside

Nine artists recommend their favourite books for summer

From dystopian biography and intelligent plants to “monstrous mothers” and the underwater world, avid readers share their top tips

Compiled by Gareth Harris and José da Silva
Book Clubinterview

From self-portraits and smiles to screams: creating a compendium of art ‘firsts’

The writer and art historian Nick Trend tells us how he chose the art for his new book and why such choices can often be subjective

Booksreview

The invented histories of the Isle of Avalon

An entertaining study of the seductive legends of England’s past, from the eighth century to the present day

From the archive: exploring a London's borough's pixies-to- princesses public statuary

Kensington and Chelsea is home to celebrated statues and hidden pieces

Seminal one-metre-tall prints of US birds fly to Compton Verney—but what of their controversial author?

Show of John James Audubon’s ‘Birds of America’ will also examine the man behind the works, whose name has been dropped from the exhibition title

Booksreview

New book on the Surrealist Leonora Carrington emphasises the influence of place in her art

An illustrated biography of the British-born Mexico-based artist is illuminated by the spaces she occupied