Books

In Remember to Dream!, celebrated curator Hans Ulrich Obrist collects an abundance of thoughts for the day, dreams, drawings, musings, jokes, quotations, questions, answers, poems and puns from some of the world’s greatest contemporary artists, musicians...

Through essays, photo-essays, and a conversation between Black designer Stephen Burks (b. 1969) and the late cultural critic bell hooks, this book contextualizes Burks’s wide-ranging work while exploring design’s influence on politics, society, and...

Beginning with Cesar Ghiselin in 1681, Philadelphia has a long and storied history of silversmithing that includes notable artists such as Joseph Richardson Sr. and Jr., Philip Syng Jr., and Olaf Skoogfors. Celebrating this legacy and showcasing the...

Over a hill, at the end of a road, by a glittering stream that twists and turns stands a farmhouse. Step inside the dollhouse-like interior of Farmhouse and relish in the daily life of the family that lives there, rendered in impeccable,...

Since the day he hatched, Owl dreamed of becoming a real knight. He may not be the biggest or the strongest, but his sharp nocturnal instincts can help protect the castle, especially since many knights have recently gone missing. While holding guard...

From the iconic 1964 Olympics poster by Yusaku Kamekura to the psychedelic posters of Tadanori Yokoo, Japan has made its way to the forefront of impactful and effective graphic and poster design since its post-war days. Fast forwarding to the Reiwa era,...

In recent years risography has captured the attention of printers and  artists, especially in independent and self-publishing circles, given the technical and visual qualities it offers. Varied and vivid spot colors, the warmth of the finishes, and...

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858) was one of the last great artists in the ukiyo-e tradition. Literally meaning “pictures of the floating world,” ukiyo-e was a particular woodblock print genre of art that flourished between the 17th and 19th centuries...

In recent years, Korean popular culture has taken the form of a tidal wave sweeping over the West. Whether it’s music, film, drama series, fashion, or cuisine, South Korea is establishing itself as a key player on the world stage. And the Korean Wave...

James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903) created hundreds of works that depicted urban contexts undergoing rapid transformation. This handsome volume sheds new light on his picturesque representations of London’s shifting urban landscape during the...

The best way to experience Philadelphia is by hiking it! Get outdoors with local author and hiking expert Lori Litchman. This full-color guide helps you locate and access the top hikes within 60 miles of Philly. A perfect blend of popular routes and...

Over the past two decades, Simone Leigh has created artwork that situates questions of Black femme-identified subjectivity at the center  of contemporary art discourse. Her sculpture, video, installation and social practice explore ideas of race,...

Berthe Morisot won over the Impressionists with her talent and became the first woman of the group alongside Monet, Degas, Renoir, Pissarro, and Sisley. Likewise, she was heralded by the greatest writers of her time; in this tribute to her, an anthology...

Founded in 1971 by Elizabeth Pepper, the art director of Gourmet magazine for many years, The Witches’ Almanac  is a witty, literate, and sophisticated publication that appeals to  general reads as well as hard-core Wiccans. At one level, it is...

Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise: His Final Months offers a unique and impressive overview of the paintings and drawings that Vincent van Gogh created during the last seventy days of his life. He produced no fewer than seventy-four paintings and over thirty...

For just over a decade, from 1956 to 1967, a collection of dilapidated former sail-making warehouses clustered at the lower edge of Manhattan became the quiet epicenter of the art world. Coenties Slip, a dead-end street near the water, was home to a...

In his New York Times bestseller Steal Like an Artist,  Austin Kleon showed readers how to unlock their creativity by “stealing”  from the community of other movers and shakers. Now, in an even more  forward-thinking and necessary book, he...

Discover a whole new world of dragons in this beautifully illustrated book on the scaliest of magical creatures. From every detail of their wings to the history of their treasure, you'll learn about famous dragons from around the world. The latest...

Based on Sainte-Marie’s song of the same name, Still This Love Goes On  combines Flett's breathtaking art with vivid lyrics to craft a stunning  portrait of a Cree worldview. At the heart of this picture book is a  gentle message about...

Created in collaboration with the British Museum, this richly illustrated volume displays the arts, histories, and cultures of Southeast Asia from about 6,000 years ago to the twenty-first century, covering modern-day Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos,...

A taxonomy we didn’t know we needed for identifying and cataloging stray shopping carts by artist and photographer Julian Montague. Abandoned shopping carts are everywhere, and yet we know so little about them. Where do they come from? Why are they...

We are living in a time when behavioral change is necessary for our health and survival. Yet we find it exceedingly difficult to transform our own habits, let alone those of other people. Enter Naohiro Matsumura, whose powerful new design method is as...

Artist Austin Kleon’s beautifully illustrated bestseller teaches  readers how to use their surroundings and their own creativity to  discover their own artistic paths. Filled with clever infographics and  words of wisdom from Kleon, and...

Peter Paul Rubens was the most inventive and prolific northern European artist of his age. This book discusses his life and work in relation to three interrelated themes: spirit, ingenuity, and genius. It argues that Rubens and his reception were pivotal...

Today most of us enjoy the work of famed Renaissance artist Michelangelo by perusing art books or strolling along the galleries of a museum—and the luckier of us have had a chance to see his extraordinary frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel...

Pivotal in modern art's move towards abstraction, Piet Mondrian's oeuvre is extraordinarily versatile and complex. Not only did he paint and draw, he also wrote extensively about his thoughts and theories on art and life. Moving from traditional Dutch...

Organized as an inventive abecedarium, On the Necessity of Gardening tells the story of the garden as a rich source of inspiration. Over the centuries, artists, writers, poets and thinkers from Capability Brown to Derek Jarman have each described,...

Building on a technique that has roots in European and American traditions, Black artists have turned to collage as a way to convey how the intersecting facets of their lives combine to make whole individuals. Artists have assembled pieces of paper,...

Beginning with pre-liberation and the years before the Stonewall uprising, spanning across the 1970s and 1980s and through to the new millennium, Queer X Design celebrates the inventive and subversive designs that have powered the resilient and...

This book offers a long-overdue reassessment of the career of the Parisian-born artist Marie Laurencin (1883–1956), who moved seamlessly between the Cubist avant-garde and lesbian literary and artistic circles, as well as the realms fashion,...

This miniature bestiary contains some 200 illustrations of more than 160 mythical beings: fire-breathing dragons, mysterious mermaids, sinuous sea serpents, mischievous yokai, and many other wondrous creatures drawn from global folklore and mythology...

The twenty-first century has seen a surge of interest in English art of the interwar years. High-profile exhibitions have attracted record-breaking visitor numbers and challenged received opinion. In The Real and the Romantic, Frances Spalding takes a...

Artist, critic and poet Eve Wood has a ribald sense of humor and for decades has had a distinctive presence in the Southern California art world. This is her first monograph, featuring a collection of off-beat, imaginative color studies populated with...

This incisive and illuminating biography follows the three themes that shaped the life of Leonardo da Vinci and, through him, forever changed Western art and imagination: nature, art, and self-fashioning. Nature and art helped form Leonardo. He spent...

Jan van Eyck (1390–1441) was one of the most inventive and influential artists in the entire European tradition. The realism of his paintings continues to astound observers more than six centuries on, even though our world is saturated by high-resolution...

After passing a city museum many times, a boy finally decides to go in.  He passes wall after wall of artwork until he sees a painting that makes  him stop and ponder. Before long the painting comes to life and an afternoon of adventure and...

Before you plan your family’s next excursion, get some help from a professional . . . and from your kids! The Kid’s Guide to Philadelphia lets  the kids help plan the trip and guide you as you explore the City of  Brotherly Love. Inside you’ll...

Chinese was the earliest truly global cuisine. When the first Chinese laborers began to settle abroad, restaurants appeared in their wake. Yet Chinese has the curious distinction of being both one of the world’s best-loved culinary traditions and one of...

Yokai come in every imaginable shape and form--ranging from frightening ghosts who haunt our dreams and cruel monsters that are deadly killers to cute fairies and mischievous enchanted animals who prank unwitting humans. They can be evil demons, harmless...

One hundred and fifty years ago, Vincent van Gogh fell under the enticing spell of Japanese printmaking while working in Paris. He bought over six hundred Japanese prints and displayed them in his studio as inspiration. Van Gogh admired the prints’...

Jake Makes a World follows the creative adventures of the young  Jacob Lawrence as he finds inspiration in the vibrant colors and  characters of his community in Harlem. From his mother's apartment,  where he is surrounded by brightly...

The distinctive melancholy found in Edward Hopper’s (1882–1967) paintings often leads viewers to wonder about the more intimate details of the artist’s life. Where exactly did this master of loneliness live and work? What influenced him most while he was...

Iconism is an inspirational reference for contemporary icon, pictogram and symbol design. Divided into three sections—Visual Identity, Wayfinding and Interactive Design—these ingenious and impactful styles from designers around the world highlight the...

Henry Dreyfuss: Designing for People reveals the work of Dreyfuss's talented, hand-picked staff and explores how together they influenced nearly a century of industrial design. With his wife as business partner, he orchestrated a firm that created some...

Feminist Designer brings together a constellation of voices and perspectives to examine the intersection of design and feminist theory. For decades, the feminist refrain within design has hinged on the representation and inclusion of women in the field...

"The coat is the picture," John Singer Sargent explained to his fellow artist Graham Robertson in the summer of 1894, tugging a heavy garment ever more tightly around his sitter’s slender figure. More attentive to what he hoped to accomplish as a painter...

We know that they prayed, sang, and wore long robes, but what was it really like to be a monk? Though monastic living may seem unimaginable to us moderns, it has relevance for today. This book illuminates the day-to-day of medieval European monasticism,...

Son of the Hindu deities Shiva and Parvati, Ganesh is the elephant-headed deity known most often as a remover (and sometimes creator) of obstacles. Ganesh is also seen as a figure of prosperity and protection. This publication in the mini book scale...

For all those who thought digital heralded the end of an era: illustration is alive and kicking, and new tools have given the art renewed vigor and the illustrator greater stamina. Steven Heller & Julius Wiedemann present a snapshot of “the new...

A beautiful and delightfully handy art book that is designed to inspire, this collection of 150 beautifully reproduced Vincent Van Gogh images makes a stylish gift. His writings have been edited and selected to create an enlightening, uplifting, and...

Paul Cezanne’s incomparable, architectonic rendering of light and color provided the foundation of his reputation as a forerunner of modernism. Which specific locations left such vivid impressions on this scion of a provincial banker’s family? What and...

Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553) created around 500 works during his lifetime. With his portraits of Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchton, and in his position as court painter to Frederick the Wise, Cranach quickly became one of the most sought-after...

David Rittenhouse: Philosopher-Mechanick of Colonial Philadelphia and His Famous Clocks brings a completely new focus on the life and works of the American astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, and inventor David Rittenhouse (1732–96). A brilliant...

Medieval people are often portrayed as having poor hygiene and table manners—licking their knives or throwing chicken bones on the floor. In the Middle Ages, however, such behavior was not tolerated. Medieval society cherished order in nearly every facet...

Ukiyo-e are paintings of the "floating world" of the Edo Period, in other words, the daily life of the time that is depicted in an exciting, satirical and at times joyful way. Because they were popular among common people, they are said to have laid the...

Drawing in the Present Tense explores the variety of ways in which contemporary artists from around the world have come to approach drawing as the primary element of their practice. One which is autonomous: an end in itself, rather than a means to an end...

The brainchild of Koloman Moser, Alfred Roller, Josef Hoffmann, Bertold Loffler and others—the leading graphic artists of the Vienna Secession and the Wiener Werkstätte—Die Flache (German for The Surface) laid out an extraordinary group...

In this vivid account, Ana Debenedetti reexamines the life and work of Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli through a novel lens: his business acumen. Focusing on the organization of Botticelli’s workshop and the commercial strategies he devised to make...

Artists’ Letters is a collection of intriguing, entertaining, moving, significant, surprising, witty and insightful correspondence from great artists. Arranged thematically, it includes writings and musings on love, work, daily life, money, travel...

Camille Claudel (1864–1943) was among the most daring and visionary sculptors of the late nineteenth century. Although much attention has been paid to her tumultuous life—her affair with her mentor, Auguste Rodin; the premature end to her career; her...

The story of art is not always the story of art-historical 'isms' and complex academic debate. The real history is often the story of some very simple firsts - the first time an artist painted themselves, the first time someone painted a smile, the first...

This indispensable introductory guide explores the art of the African continent from its early origins over 75,000 years ago to the contemporary, set in the context of postcolonial debates, the restitution of cultural objects and artifacts, and the...

The Italian Renaissance birthed the modern sense of self, and no artist from the period compares with Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) in terms of the almost obsessive interest he displayed in his own life. Dürer’s works are filled with personal details from...

A week after the funeral I stare in the morning mirror Angry that my father’s eyes Stare back at me. Confused  and distraught after the death of his father, a boy opens an envelope  he left behind and is surprised to find a map of the woods...

Do you know who created… the WIDEST painting? the MOST self portraits? the FIRST art photography? the LARGEST sculpture in Europe? Learn  about famous artists and artworks from all over the world and  throughout history in this fun book...

“Deadstock” refers to the originals: authentic, unworn sneakers that were produced for limited-edition releases, limited-run reruns, or pairs that have otherwise stopped being made. No longer available from the direct retailers, deadstock is the most...

Discover the latest and the greatest of Japan’s manga scene. This  revised and updated edition features classic maestros like Osamu Tezuka  (creator of Astro Boy) and Katsuhiro Otomo (creator of Akira) as well as  the most exciting...

Meet Buzz the dog. He's such a good boy. Buzz seems to have a perfect life .. . and a lot of very well-behaved friends. Buzz would never dream of being anything other than good. Right, Buzz? Buzz . . . ? For anyone who has ever felt pressure to be...

Meet Lee, a little boy who won't give up until he learns how to sew, and Zora, the sister who watches him try--and ultimately succeed! "I know big sisters. Zora, the boss, she's mine," explains Lee as he and Zora head to the library, where Mrs. C is...

Focusing on the work of 33 artists, this volume examines the ways contemporary Korean art reflects the dynamic changes in the country following the 1980 Gwangju Uprising and 1988 Seoul Olympics, when a newly democratic South Korea opened up to the rest...

Monuments and Myths is the first publication to trace the intersecting work of Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848–1907) and Daniel Chester French (1850–1931), the leading American sculptors of the Gilded Age. Featuring provocative essays, stunning...

While anchoring his practice in the traditions of antiquity and the Renaissance, Auguste Rodin paved the way for modern sculpture. From a very early stage, he was interested in movement, the expression of the body, chance effects, and the incomplete...

With essays by Roberta Bernstein, Yve-Alain Bois, Jean-François Chevrier, John Elderfield, John Golding, Christopher Green, Jennie Hirsh, Joop M. Joosten, Anabelle Kienle, Albert Kostenevich, Carolyn Lanchner, Mark D. Mitchell, Joseph J. Rishel,...

Printing Design for Graphic Designers is a reference book that showcases  design projects from all over the world and focuses on the processes  that were used to print them. The book opens with a thorough  introduction of printing history,...

The author's approach is not so much a step-by-step instruction with template-like schemes, instead it focuses on the intrinsic logic of things, their connections and relations, and the link between presentation and design. She invites readers to...

Four journeys by early Americans Mary Rowlandson, Sarah Kemble Knight, William Byrd II, and Dr. Alexander Hamilton recount the vivid physical and psychological challenges of colonial life. Essential primary texts in the study of early American cultural...

Almost twenty-five years after the infamous art heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum—still the largest unsolved art theft in history—one of the stolen Degas paintings is delivered to the Boston studio of a young artist. Claire Roth has entered...

Trace the history of rock and roll with this playful journey through the decades, artists and styles that make this such a diverse and beloved art form. For children and parents alike, this colorful and lovingly illustrated book travels from the 1950s...

In an increasingly digital world, the art of printing has become more precious than ever. Although screens continue to take over society and sustainable practices have improved the preservation of natural resources, many designers still thrive on...

Featuring over five hundred masterpieces from around the world, this revised and expanded guide is a beautifully illustrated introduction to the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This updated version of the museum's handbook presents more...

Learn how to grow your own herbs and vegetables, harvest herbs to make your own teas and tinctures, and make cordials, bitters and elixirs of all kinds, all while learning the basics of making drinks at home. Complete with recipes, striking photography...

Sake began with a grain of rice. Scotch emerged from barley, tequila from agave, rum from sugarcane, bourbon from corn. Thirsty yet?  In The Drunken Botanist, Amy Stewart explores the dizzying array of herbs, flowers, trees, fruits, and fungi that...

How do trees grow, and why do they change throughout the seasons? Children will love delving into the inner workings of a tree to discover the answers with this incredible interactive book. With labeled acetate diagrams, this is a fantastic first look at...

Best-selling illustrator Britta Teckentrup explores the world of birds in a sumptuously illustrated nonfiction book. There are birds everywhere! Some of them live along the coast, some of them in the savannah, and some may be in your backyard. Young...

The history of China— brilliantly told and brought vividly to life through more than 6,000 years of artifacts and treasures. This illustrated introduction to the history of China offers a fresh understanding of China’s progress from the Neolithic age to...

“These mirror images with their uncanny resemblances traverse space and time, spotlighting the black lives that have been silenced by the canon of western art, while also inviting us to interrogate the present.” —Times (UK) Since the beginning of the...

 'Race Is Everything’ explores the spurious but influential ideas of so-called racial science in the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth centuries, and how art was affected by it. David Bindman looks at race in general, but with...

Marc Chagall (1887–1985) remains famous for his dreamy images and luminous use of color, but in the 1930s his palette darkened as he began to address intensifying anti-Semitism in Europe. Chagall: World in Turmoil draws attention to lesser-known works...

Once admired as “a little Rome” on the banks of the Rhône, the town of Arles in the south of France had been a place of significance long before the painter Vincent van Gogh arrived in February of 1888. Aware of Arles’s history as a haven for poets, van...

Cabinets of curiosities fascinated people of the 16th and 17th  centuries. They offered a glimpse into a world full of natural wonders and treasures that aimed to reflect the order of the universe. This volume takes us through the world’s most...

Over the centuries our manipulation of the natural world has resulted in  an explosion of synthetic dye production and application globally. To gain insight into the history of how folk practices have been lost and technical processes found,...

Elijah Pierce (1892–1984) was born the youngest son of a former slave on a Mississippi farm. He began carving at an early age when his father gave him his first pocketknife, and throughout his life he honed his craft and created artworks that would...

Organized into chapters that explore the many ways to express dissent (RESIST!, VOTE!, STRIKE!, TEACH! and LOVE!), Strikethrough presents more than 120 signs, posters, publications and ephemera in vivid imagery and incisive prose. From the colorful...

Today, Danish Modern design is synonymous with clean, midcentury cool. During the 1950s and ‘60s, it flourished as the furniture choice for Americans who hoped to signal they were current and chic. But how did this happen? How did Danish Modern become...

From analog to digital, mainframes to mobile phones – with photos, ads, and concept drawings of inventions that ushered in the digital era, this visual survey of the Information Age reveals how the computer and the  internet irreversibly transformed...

Vine of the Soul is an exceptional photographic essay accompanied by detailed descriptions of the Amazonians' use of medicinal and other sacred plant substances. Over 160 documentary photos, some of the most significant ever taken on the subject, bring...

Belonging in the immortal company of the great works of literature, Dante Alighieri’s poetic masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, is a moving human drama, an unforgettable visionary journey through the infinite torment of Hell, up the arduous slopes of...

The Peacock Room Comes to America details the unique history of a  dining room so masterfully decorated, it crossed oceans to become an  art collector’s piece. The room is a study in opulence, offering a  360-degree showstopping view. This...

Once upon a time in Persia, there was a woman who had never seen her reflection. On her wedding day, she sees herself in a mirror for the first time and does not recognize herself. Heartbroken, she runs away, mistakenly believing another bride has taken...

Celebrating over a century of fashion’s greatest talents, from Azzedine Alaïa and Coco Chanel to Alexander McQueen and Yves Saint Laurent. From Azzedine Alaïa, Cristóbal Balenciaga, and Coco Chanel to  Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent, and...