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 above
‘The painter in me did not die’: novelist Orhan Pamuk turns his hand to art
Notebooks filled with the Turkish author's drawings reflect events spanning the past decade
An expert’s guide to Brazilian Modernism: five must-read books on the subject
All you ever wanted to know about the topic, from its impact on global Modernist art to a novel capturing the “atmosphere of heady excitement”—selected by the curator Rebecca Bray
‘An impossible stillness that artists have chased’: Alvaro Barrington on Piero della Francesca’s Baptism of Christ
In this exclusive extract from a new book, the London-based artist explains why Piero’s painting is his favourite in the National Gallery collection
December Book Bag: from Nick Cave’s devilish works to an analysis of Rembrandt’s competition with his star pupil
Our round-up of the latest art publications
Some of our favourite books of 2024—picked by The Art Newspaper’s books team
Our literary editors share what has delighted them this year, from art-themed novels to edifying histories
Ultimate reading lists
Interviews with writers
‘The painter in me did not die’: novelist Orhan Pamuk turns his hand to art
Notebooks filled with the Turkish author's drawings reflect events spanning the past decade
The world’s oldest printed book and rare ancient manuscripts from the Mogao caves in China to go on show in London
We speak to the British Library exhibition curator Melodie Doumy about the Diamond Sutra and other treasures from the Library Cave
Maria Balshaw on the roles of museums today and what Tate’s sponsorship red line is
The Tate director discusses her new book about art institutions and their challenges in the 21st century
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
Tears, tantrums and Turner Prize titbits: Lynn Barber on the messy art of interviewing artists
In her latest book, the veteran UK journalist recalls her many encounters with artists such as Salvador Dalí, Howard Hodgkin and the Chapman brothers
Features
How a Persian manuscript was swapped for a Willem de Kooning owned by the Iranian government
Oliver Hoare's memoir details the story of the ambitious exchange of an Iranian masterpiece for a painting by the Abstract Expressionist
‘The artist the critics love to hate’: the colourful life of sports star painter and Playboy illustrator LeRoy Neiman
We speak to the author of a new biography that reassesses the legacy of the “hustler” artist who rubbed shoulders with celebrities
My five-year-old could do that! The impact of childhood on the work of artists
A new book gathers together anecdotes from artists' early years and looks at how these formative experiences shaped their careers
What is the art world reading?
Some of our favourite books of 2024—picked by The Art Newspaper’s books team
Our literary editors share what has delighted them this year, from art-themed novels to edifying histories
The top art books of 2023—chosen by The Art Newspaper’s book team
There is something for every art lover among our pick of the publications—from a forgotten 17th-century painter to a lively history of dyes
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
The top art books of 2022—chosen by The Art Newspaper's books team
Struggling for Christmas gifts? Take a look at the publications we enjoyed over the past year—from an exploration of art and motherhood to an interrogation of the culture wars
Book extracts
‘An impossible stillness that artists have chased’: Alvaro Barrington on Piero della Francesca’s Baptism of Christ
In this exclusive extract from a new book, the London-based artist explains why Piero’s painting is his favourite in the National Gallery collection
‘He laughed like a madman’: when Édouard Manet decided to touch up one of Berthe Morisot's paintings
An extract from a new book by Sebastian Smee—about the Impressionists during the Siege of Paris and Paris Commune—brings to life the peculiar episode of artistic intervention
Katherine Parr: power, patronage and the first full-length portrait of an English queen
In this exclusive extract from a new book about Henry VIII’s six wives, the art historian Suzannah Lipscomb writes about “perhaps the greatest artistic patron of them all”
‘Have you ever been sat on before?’ What it's like taking part in a (surprisingly) private view
An exclusive extract from a new book by Bianca Bosker that lifts the lid on the secret life of the art world
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
In Pictures
In Pictures | Artist billboards across America tell a story of US politics today
Ahead of the November presidential election, a new book by the For Freedoms organisation brings together the topical and political posters that it has commissioned since 2016
In Pictures | Ukraine before the 2022 Russian invasion, from holidaymakers in Odesa to the frontlines of Mariupol
Mark Neville’s new photobook—of images taken over the past six years—is a call to action that has been sent to hundreds of politicians and other influential people around the world
In Pictures | How Gianfranco Gorgoni captured the mysticism of the Land Art movement
More than 150 rarely-seen photographs chronicle the history of seminal earthworks in the landscape
In Pictures | Behind the scenes of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s work wrapping the Arc de Triomphe
A new book looks at the detailed preparations and 60 years of planning behind the work being unveiled in Paris
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
