Books

Jean-Claude Lebensztejn’s history of the urinating figure in art, Pissing Figures 1280–2014, is at once a scholarly inquiry into an important visual motif, and a ribald statement on transgression and limits in works of art in general...

Selections from Romaine Brooks’s unpublished memoir No Pleasant Memories expose the psyche and practice of this underrecognized queer, female artist.   Most known for her bold and darkly painted portraits, Brooks was revolutionary in her...

Charles Baudelaire, considered a father of modern poetry, wrote some of the most daring and influential prose of the nineteenth century. Prior to publishing the international bestseller Les Fleurs du mal (1857), he was already notable as a forthright...

Written between 1913 and 1929, revolutionary years in art history, Dix Portraits conveys the deep human engagement between an artist and her subject. The artist book unites Stein’s ten portraits in prose with sketches by five artists: Pablo...

Derek Jarman's Blue weaves a sensory tapestry that serves as both a political call to action and a meditation on illness, dying, and love.   “For Blue there are no boundaries or solutions.” —Derek Jarman   Originally...

“Criticism is our censorship . . .” So begins one of the greatest invectives against criticism ever written by an artist. Paul Gauguin wrote “Racontars de rapin” only months before he died in 1903, but the essay remained...

Long overlooked in Proust’s posthumously published writings, Chardin and Rembrandt, written when he was only twenty-four years old, not only reemphasizes the importance of visual art to his development, but contains the seeds of his later work...

 First published in 1998, Leeming’s landmark biography of Beauford Delaney returns to print Long out of print, this new edition of David Leeming’s landmark biography of Beauford Delaney (1901–79) features an introduction by Hilton Als. Leeming, also...

Illuminated with illustrations, an exploration of medieval manuscript production that offers insight into both the early history of the book and life in the Middle Ages. This book takes the reader on an immersive journey through medieval manuscript...

Translated into English for the first time, On Contemporary Art, a speech by the renowned novelist César Aira, was delivered at a 2010 colloquium in Madrid dedicated to bridging the gap between writing and the visual arts.   On...

Never before translated into English, Rainer Maria Rilke’s fascinating Letters to a Young Painter, written toward the end of his life between 1920 and 1926, is a surprising companion to his infamous Letters to a Young Poet, earlier correspondence...

A seminal work by one of today’s most vital figurative artists explores the complexity of race, wealth, and class through storytelling and multimedia drawings.   This extraordinary, illustrated story—Toyin Ojih Odutola’s best-known body of...

From New York Times bestselling author Ross Gay comes a "brilliant" intimate and electrifying collection of essays about the joy that comes from connection (Ada Limón, U.S. poet laureate). In these gorgeously written and timely pieces, prizewinning poet...

The Japanese woodblock print showcased breathtaking landscapes, blush-inducing erotica, ghosts and demons that torment the living, and made sumo wrestlers and kabuki actors into rock stars. This book reveals the most exceptional prints from 1710–1925,...

 How medieval Gothic art inspired a generation. Gothic Modern illuminates the pivotal discovery of medieval Gothic art for Edvard Munch, Käthe Kollwitz, and their artist contemporaries. It explores their deep attraction to the Gothic art of...

 Showcases some of the most stunning treasures from the dynasty that created the Taj Mahal The Great Mughals presents, for the first time, the opulent, internationalist culture of Mughal Hindustan in the age of its greatest emperors: Akbar (r...

A sweeping overview of poetic compositions from the beloved American postwar painter known for her groundbreaking and inventive approach to abstraction. Celebrated among the second generation of postwar American abstract painters, Helen Frankenthaler...

In this exploration of contemporary photography, David Levi Strauss questions the concept that “seeing is believing”. Identifying a recent shift in the dominance of photography, David Levi Strauss looks at the power of the medium in the age of...

Meet a green-fingered family whose diverse community is bursting with love in this lushly illustrated and lyrical picture book.  This beautiful and warmly-told story teaches us that love really does grow everywhere, in all shapes, forms, and sizes...

An accessible, inspirational, and engaging introductory survey of LGBTQIA+ photography, as told through the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Drawing on one of the oldest and largest photography collections in the world, Calling the...

 A unique compendium of Indian crafts, this informative source-book maps the handicrafts of the subcontinent and captures the traditions that have enriched the day-to-day lives, and incomes, of Indian craftspeople. Handmade in India examines all...

 A magnificently illustrated oversize book that uses art to illuminate the lives of medieval women, from peasants to queens Medieval women ruled over kingdoms, abbeys, and households; produced stunning works of art and craft; and did the hard work...

This expanded and revised edition celebrates the work of Ghanaian artist El Anatsui by exploring the artist's life and the trajectory of his remarkable career. El Anatsui: Art and Life by Susan Mullin Vogel is the essential resource on the Ghanaian...

The product of more than 30 years of research, this astounding and authoritative volume reveals the political metaphors underpinning El Anatsui’s magnificent abstract sculpture Authored by two acclaimed scholars, Okwui Enwezor and Chika Okeke-Agulu, this...

 A book highlighting the work of pioneering Black printmaker, sculptor, and activist Elizabeth Catlett. Accomplished printmaker and sculptor, avowed feminist, and lifelong activist Elizabeth Catlett (1915–2012) built a remarkable career around...

The perfect book for anyone who loves making art - and making a mess!  Meet the boy who can't stop creating art! He loves colors, shapes, textures and EVERYTHING inspires him: his socks, the contents of the fridge, even his cat gets a new coat (of...

The barbershop is where the magic happens. Boys go in as lumps of clay and, with princely robes draped around their shoulders, a dab of cool shaving cream on their foreheads, and a slow, steady cut, they become royalty. That crisp yet subtle line makes...

Vincent van Gogh boarded the last train from The Hague to Hoogeveen on Tuesday, September 11, 1883. He stays there for several weeks, then moves to Nieuw-Amsterdam/Veenoord and visits Zweeloo. The landscape makes a deep impression on him. Everywhere...

The Flemish Primitive artist Hans Memling (c. 1435–1494), who played a crucial role in early Netherlandish painting, is inextricably associated with Bruges. Among his most impressive creations are the St John Altarpiece and the St Ursula Shrine, which he...

This is the first book about Hokuei - one of the most intriguing artists ever in kabuki-actor prints Lavishly illustrated with over 300 images, it brings the world of kabuki alive in fascinating detail The book includes a fully illustrated and annotated...

 A celebration of the work and ambition of the women who were at the heart of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Women Pioneers of the Arts and Crafts Movement is a celebration of the work and ambition of the women who were at the heart of the most...

With over 250 color illustrations, this companion volume to Claudia Brown's Great Qing: Painting in China, 1644–1911 covers an array of superbly crafted objects of art produced during China's last dynasty. It features ceramics, metalwork, textiles,...

This lyrical, timely picture book with beautiful diorama illustrations shows that if you really look, you never know what the world might give you to see. The natural world is full of patterns to enjoy for those who can ground themselves, be mindful, and...

Though they may speak different languages, kids from all over the world come together to enjoy the shared pastime of tea in this delicious book for young readers.  When five-year-old Luli joins her new English as a Second Language class, the...

The inspiring biography of Ghanaian artist El Anatsui whose handmade sculptures, created from discarded bottle tops, have received international acclaim and been showcased around the world. "If you touch something, you leave a charge on it and anybody...

Afterglow brings together the known memorial paintings by Frederic Edwin Church (1826–1900) for the first time, unveiling how Church returned to the medium of landscape throughout his career to create solace in times of loss. This book presents new...

 An exclusive insight into glamour of Edo–period society through the medium of 170 exquisite ukiyo-e. This sumptuous book explores the important role that woodblock prints played in the fashionable world of Edo–period Japan (1603–1868). One hundred...

Say hello to early learning concepts and the wild world of animals! Little ones will learn their colors with the help of a zebra, a swordfish, a sloth, and . . . an axolotl? More than sixty wonderful and endangered creatures from earth, sea, and sky...

In a world of infinite images here is a guide to 65 of the best ever taken. From early experiments with light and form through Leica masterpieces and now artificially generated images, take it or leave it, this is our opinion as to why these particular...

A new history of digital art from the 1960s to the present day, with decade-by-decade essays exploring evolving digital art practices, alongside interviews with artists, gallerists, museum curators, and collectors. This new, image-led history of global...

 Explore the dynamic world of 1960s pop art through Lucy Lippard's insightful analysis of this groundbreaking international art movement. Surprising, questioning, challenging, enriching: the Pocket Perspectives series presents timeless works by...

 What is the purpose of art in a world on fire? Can it be a genuine form of political resistance? What is the purpose of art in a world on fire? In this exhilarating and deeply inspiring work, Amber Massie-Blomfield considers the work of artists,...

 The dramatic story of an ingenious man who explained nature and created a country. Benjamin Franklin was one of the preeminent scientists of his time. Driven by curiosity, he conducted cutting-edge research on electricity, heat, ocean currents,...

Meet 52 icons of color from the past and present in this celebration of inspirational achievement—a collection of stories about changemakers to encourage, inspire, and empower the next generation of changemakers. Jamia Wilson has carefully curated this...

An accessible yet critical introduction to African photography and film from the mid-twentieth century to present day. The African Gaze is a comprehensive exploration of postcolonial and contemporary photography and cinema from Africa. Drawing from...

'An encyclopedic necessity for anyone interested in contemporary art.' - Vanity Fair 'We want people to see themselves… We want you to see the giants on whose shoulders we stand.' - Alicia Keys Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and...

The first monograph on the work of celebrated and influential Kenyan-American artist Wangechi Mutu Wangechi Mutu's remarkable body of work touches on such issues as sexuality, ecology, politics, and the rhythms and chaos that govern the world. Her...

 The most comprehensive book yet on this inspired, inventive chronicler of the African American experience. Alabama-born, Chicago-based Kerry James Marshall is one of the most exciting artists working today. Critically and commercially acclaimed,...

African American art in the era of Malcolm X and the Black Panthers In the period of radical change that was 1963–83, young black artists at the beginning of their careers confronted difficult questions about art, politics and racial identity. How to...

A sweeping survey of hip hop’s resounding impact on contemporary art and culture across the past 20-plus years Accompanying a groundbreaking exhibition originating at the Baltimore Museum of Art, this book captures the extraordinary influence of...

This is the first comprehensive monograph on acclaimed painter Amy Sherald, whose distinctive style of simplified realist portraiture features African American subjects rendered against colorful monochrome backdrops or in everyday settings. Sherald rose...

Tender yet compelling, Johnson's portraits of herself, her friends and her relatives are touchstones of Black figuration. A founding member of the Black British Arts Movement, Claudette Johnson (born 1959) creates large-scale drawings of Black people...

Surveying 30 years of Henry Taylor’s work in painting, sculpture and installation, this comprehensive monograph celebrates a Los Angeles artist widely appreciated for his unique aesthetic, social vision and freewheeling experimentation. Taylor’s...

In her large-scale oil paintings, New York-based artist Jordan Casteel (born 1989) takes up questions of Black subjectivity and representation by examining the gestures, spaces and forms of nonverbal communication that underpin portraiture. “There is a...

 "Black women's heads of hair are galaxies unto themselves, solar systems, moonscapes, volcanic interiors." —Elizabeth Alexander, from the Introduction Using advertising photographs of black women (and men) drawn from vintage issues of Ebony and...

A celebration of Black History for babies and toddlers! We Are Black History Board Book from Mudpuppy is a wonderful introduction to the black leaders and trailblazers who have shaped our world! From the inspiring words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to...

The New Brownies’ Book reimagines the very first publication created for African American children in 1920 as a must-have anthology for a new generation. Expanding on the mission of the original periodical to inspire the hearts and minds of Black...

This deluxe hardcover survey, featuring profiles of 50 artists on the rise, is the definitive guide to contemporary African art. With African artists attracting sizable audience numbers to museums, setting sky-high auction records, and appearing in...

Across photography, sculpture and painting, a new wave of Black artists is challenging persistent tropes in art and wider society to depict a richer portrait of the lives of Black people from all corners of the globe. As We See It brings together 30...

An ode to the girl with scrapes on her knees and flowers in her hair, and every girl in between, this exquisite treasury will have kids poring over it to find a poem that's just for them.  From Vanessa Brantley-Newton, comes a collection of poetry...

As We Rise presents an exciting compilation of photographs from African diasporic culture. With over one hundred works by Black artists from Canada, the Caribbean, Great Britain, the United States, South America, as well as throughout the African...

Through fourteen stories, this picture book edition of the multiaward-winning Black Artists Shaping the World makes the work and lives of Black artists accessible to younger readers. Featuring full-color reproductions of fourteen artworks and...

Seen is a journal of film, art, and visual culture, dedicated to platforming nuanced and rigorous writing by and about Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities globally.   Issue 007 highlights include: Ja’Tovia Gary and philosopher Dr. Joy James...

Take a look at the experiences and associations typeface evokes. Fonts have different personalities that can create trust or mistrust, give you confidence, make things seem easier to do or make a product taste better. Understand the science behind how...

Fiery dragons, playful centaurs, the mysterious garusa, the web-footed bunyip--these and other mythological creatures abound in Eric Carle's Dragons Dragons. Carle celebrates mythology and legends from around the world and breathes life into the...

Wright on The star pieces of America’s greatest architect A building by Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959) is at once unmistakably individual and evocative of an entire era. Notable for their exceptional harmony with their environment, as well as for their...

 Improve your skills and techniques for drawing mammals! This small, portable book presents more than 500 drawings for 100 species of mammals, collected into categories of habitat—land, water, and air. In this book, artist and teacher Michel...

A new introductory guide to the art of looking at and engaging with photography. Photographs, even the most iconic, often have something seemingly obvious about them. They appear to represent the "real" world and our first instinct is that they can be...

 A fascinating introduction to the world of Korean myth and legend. The myths of Korea may seem a complex and intriguing mix of ghosts, spirits, and superstition, but they form the bedrock of one of the most vibrant global cultures today. In the...

Craft Roach is an exuberant story about an artsy little bug who lives life a little differently. Written by Rachel Burke and with art from best-selling illustrator Daniel Gray-Barnett, Craft Roach is a fun, rhyming picture book about standing out,...

When is a dot "not just a blot on a page"? In Jane Yolen's characteristically imaginative, free-verse explanation, the humble dot can take on many functions, from a spot of food to an animal's eye, from a marble to a moon. As Yolen extolls the dot's...

Brought to life with lavish and ornate illustrations, The Truth About Dragons follows a young child on a journey guided by his mother's bedtime storytelling. He quests into two very different forests, as his two grandmothers help him discover two...

The heroic tale of a tiny dragon with a heart of gold and a taste for treats! A scrumptious picture book for fans of funny fairytales and fantastic beasts.  Ember has always been different from the other dragons. His fearsome roar sounds more like a...

My hair is like the sun . . . the stars . . . the ocean! From curls that wind like rivers to coils that shimmer like stars, this book featuring photographs of real children, and their natural hairstyles encourages little ones to see themselves reflected...

Winner of the Caldecott Medal! A Coretta Scott King Award Author and Illustrator Honor book, a National Book Award finalist, and a New York Times bestseller! This deeply moving story shares valuable lessons about fitting in, standing out, and the beauty...

Quiara Alegría Hudes was the sharp-eyed girl on the stairs while her family danced their defiance in a tight North Philly kitchen. She was awed by her mother and aunts and cousins, but haunted by the unspoken, untold stories of the barrio—even as she...

Portrayals of James Baldwin and others in his circle highlight the iconic writer’s activism The American writer and activist James Baldwin (1924–87) considered himself a “witness” as he challenged perspectives on America and its history through his work...

 Showcases the exceptionally diverse photographic work of Latinx artists Whether at UFW picket lines in California's Central Valley or capturing summertime street life in East Harlem Latinx photographers have documented fights for dignity and...

The essential survey showcasing the work of more than 300 modern and contemporary artists born or based in Latin America Latin American artists have gained increasing international prominence as the art world awakens to the area’s extraordinary art...

 A celebration of more than 300 groundbreaking women sculptors that surveys 500 years of creative ingenuity from around the world Presenting a more expansive and inclusive history of sculpture, Great Women Sculptors surveys the work of more than 300...

 Published to mark the 250th anniversary of Caspar David Friedrich's birth, the most thorough Friedrich retrospective in many years. Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840) is renowned as the Romantic painter par excellence, his works icons of an age of...

Drawing inspiration from the past is fertile ground for designers, who often update classic iconography to create modern designs that evoke the charm of previous decades while staying true to a client's needs. These creatives blend the look and feel of...

In “Latinx,” Carribean Fragoza traces Laura Aguilar’s influence on queer artmaking. Joiri Minaya remixes postcards from the Dominican Republic to unveil the fantasy of tourism. Christina Catherine Martinez profiles Reynaldo Rivera, who chronicled...

An intergenerational story of family ties, cultural pride, and spelling bee victory following a young boy who bonds with his beloved abuela over a love of Spanish. As a boy prepares for his school’s Spanish spelling bee, he asks his grandmother for help...

This sweet author-illustrator debut celebrates imagination, the magic of friendship, and all the different ways we make a new place feel like home.  For Ren, home is his grandmother's little house, and the lush forest that surrounds it. Home is a...

Classic Latin American folktales get an update in this new collection by celebrated author Liniers! New York Times bestselling author and Eisner Award winner Liniers brings his exuberant cartooning style and irrepressible sense of humor to the spooky...

A family joins the music of the Texas desert night in this tale of tradition and memory. It starts with a soft tapping, Uncle Eduardo drumming his hands against his dusty jeans. As the blush of sunset gives way to night in the desert, coyotes, cicadas,...

A fascinating guide to Van Gogh’s itinerant life, with vibrant images and stories about the many places he lived and worked. Vincent van Gogh traveled widely throughout Europe—on foot, by boat, and above all, by train. He wrote countless letters to his...

The Pulitzer Prize–winning art critic’s gripping account of the “Terrible Year” in Paris and its monumental impact on the rise of Impressionism From the summer of 1870 to the spring of 1871, famously dubbed the “Terrible Year” by Victor Hugo, Paris and...

The hauntingly beautiful work of Germany’s most renowned Romantic painter springs to life in the pages of this beautifully produced overview featuring famous and lesser-known works in full and in detail.Considered one of the most important figures...

This visual gift book introduces readers to the field of Black figuration by highlighting key works from the National Portrait Gallery exhibition The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure. The selections included in this brief introduction...

 “There is never a time in the future in which we will work out our salvation. The challenge is in the moment, the time is always now,” wrote James Baldwin. Published in conjunction with the eponymous exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery,...

Arguably the greatest artist of the Baroque period, Peter Paul Rubens was an accomplished painter and draftsman, as well as a valued diplomat. This accessible examination of his life and work looks at every aspect of Rubens's oeuvre; from his...

A hairless, ghostly figure on a bridge. The sky orange-red above him.  His hands raised to his ears, his mouth wide in a haunting wail. In  painting The Scream, Edvard Munch created Mona Lisa for our times. The shriek of his iconic figure...

In our imaginings of Paris, painter and graphic artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901) has no small role to play. In his prints, posters, paintings, and drawings, the artist immortalized the city’s Belle Époque nightlife and put the northern...

From majestic desertscapes to magnified lilies and irises, survey the unique and luminous oeuvre of Georgia O’Keeffe, a seminal figure in modern American art and radical pioneer of abstraction. This book  follows the artist through her pioneering...

Like Dreamers Do The lyrical mark-making of a modern maestro With a career spanning seven decades, Catalan-born Joan Miró (1893–1983) was a polymath giant of modern art, producing masterworks across painting, sculpture, art books, tapestry, and ceramics,...

The first installation in the Bauhausbücher facsimile series: Gropius' overview of mid-1920s architecture defined the International Style When the Bauhaus moved to Dessau in 1924, it was finally possible to publish the first of the Bauhausbücher that...

The second installation in the Bauhausbücher facsimile series, presenting Paul Klee’s legendary Pedagogical Sketchbook Active at the Bauhaus between 1920 and 1931, teaching in the bookbinding, stained glass and mural-painting workshops, Paul Klee...

A facsimile of the gorgeous Bauhaus edition of Malevich's classic treatise on Suprematism Kasimir Malevich (1879–1935) debuted his new creative theory of basic geometric shapes with the publication of his Suprematist manifesto in 1915. He later published...