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
What it's like modelling naked for Lucian Freud when he's your father
Rose Boyt’s memoir explores the highs, lows and contradictions of sitting for the artist
Why Anthony van Dyck was summoned to paint a recently deceased noblewoman
This extract from a new book about works in the Dulwich Picture Gallery by Helen Hillyard and Jennifer Scott reveals the story behind the artist's 1663 portrait of Lady Digby
Paper, politics and poetry: why artists’ books from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia deserve a closer look
British Museum show and book by Venetia Porter tap into rich seam of works by non-Western artists
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
June book bag: from a record of Richard Wright’s ephemeral paintings to a monograph of Manal AlDowayan's participatory works
Our roundup of the latest art publications
Anna Atkins and the algae: how the first photobook was made in the mid-1800s
In an extract from an essay accompanying a newly published facsimile, Peter Walther tells the story of how this remarkable publication came about
Opera singer Peter Brathwaite tells us why he reinterpreted Black portraiture using household items
In his book inspired by the Getty Museum Challenge, Brathwaite recreated portraits by artists such as Georges Trubert and Sonia Boyce
An expert's guide to Keith Haring: four must-read books on the popular US artist
All you ever wanted to know about Haring, from his personal journals to interviews with the likes of Roy Lichtenstein and Madonna—selected by the curator Sarah Loyer
The story behind Sol LeWitt’s rarely seen wall drawings in a medieval tower
An extract from an essay by the art historian Rye Dag Holmboe explains how the US artist’s works ended up in the Umbrian city of Spoleto
April book bag: from a book of contemporary collage to a lavish tome about Mecca
Our roundup of the latest art publications
An expert’s guide to Jean-Michel Basquiat: four must-read books on the American artist
All you ever wanted to know about Basquiat, from his best quotes to an “intimate insight” from his family—selected by the curator Dieter Buchhart
March book bag: from portraits of King Charles III to Marinella Senatore’s light installations
Our roundup of the latest art publications
From Hogarth to Hockney, artists struck by puppy love are celebrated in four recent canine-themed books
Ahead of a new show of dog portraits at London's Wallace Collection, we round-up some publishing treats for you to paw over
An expert’s guide to Hokusai: four must-read books on the Japanese artist
All you ever wanted to know about Hokusai, from a history of The Great Wave to a novel about the artist's daughter—selected by the curator Sarah E. Thompson
Extract | When the Picasso was almost knocked off the wall during a blockbuster show
A new memoir by Patrick Bringley details what it was like to work as a guard at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art
‘That’s not enough’: Willem de Kooning’s advice to a young Wayne Thiebaud
An excerpt from one of Thiebaud’s final interviews, which features in the catalogue of a survey at the Fondation Beyeler, reveals how the US artist arrived at his signature style
Q&A: Jennifer Higgie on her new book about spiritualism and its importance to early Modernist women artists
The former editor of Frieze magazine says the idea that modernity had to be rational, cool and atheist was detrimental to art
‘I never run out of ideas’: an interview with Yayoi Kusama and highlights from her new catalogue
The artist, who is now in her 90s and voluntarily living in a psychiatric hospital, has a major retrospective under way in Hong Kong
December book bag: from the Tate’s latest series delving into its collection to a colourful biography of Isabella Stewart Gardner
Our roundup of the latest art publications
David Shrigley tells us about his new book and why he chose the ‘shit’ title
The British artist gives us an insight into the work behind his latest publication, which brings together more than 200 recent drawings
Fertile inspiration: how the humble egg has played an enduring role in women’s art
This except from Taschen's new book The Gourmand’s Egg: A Collection of Stories and Recipes shows how artists including Judy Chicago and Sarah Lucas have used egg imagery
An expert's guide to Henri Matisse: four must-read books on the Modern master
All you ever wanted to know about Matisse, from a definitive two-volume biography to the writings of the artist himself—selected by the curator Dorthe Aagesen
Q&A: Osei Bonsu on his book about artists shaping the contemporary African art scene
The curator has brought together the work of 50 artists from across the continent for his new book African Art Now
An expert's guide to Tutankhamun: five must-read books on the Egyptian pharaoh
All you ever wanted to know about King Tut, from CT scans and DNA studies to the perfect book for “any little pharaohs that you might know”—selected by the biographer and journalist Garry Shaw
Q&A | Hettie Judah on how galleries, museums and art schools treat artist mothers
A new publication unpicks how becoming a parent can detrimentally affect an artist’s career and suggests ways the art world can do better
October book bag: from the merry portraits and financial woes of Frans Hals to a graphic novel about Banksy
Our roundup of the latest art publications
Susan Sontag's influential 1977 book On Photography is reissued
New version published by The Folio Society includes new insights from curator Mia Fineman who has selected key accompanying images
September book bag: from Lucian Freud’s love letters to an Edie Sedgwick biography
Our roundup of the latest art publications
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
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