Art and Design

Recent movers and shakers in Art and Design.
Updated May 25, 2026
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Great Art Explained: The Stories Behind the World's Greatest Masterpieces
James Payne
Paper Book
'James Payne's YouTube Channel "Great Art Explained" gained a huge and appreciative worldwide audience. This beautifully put-together book is simply the best introduction to the lifelong pleasure and rewards of looking at pictures since Gombrich. An instant classic' Stephen Fry
Vermeer: A Life Lost and Found
Andrew Graham Dixon
Paper Book
This revelatory biography persuasively addresses the two great unresolved questions about Vermeer: why did he paint his pictures, and what do they mean? One spring day in 1683, a notary's clerk in Delft entered the home of the late Magdalena Pieters van Ruijven and stumbled upon one...
Flashes of Brilliance: The Genius of Early Photography and How It Transformed Art, Science, and History
Anika Burgess
Paper Book
Today it's routine to take photos from an airplane window, use a camera underwater, watch a movie, or view an X-ray. But the photographic innovations more than a century ago that made such things possible were experimental, revelatory, and sometimes dangerous--and many of the innovators,...
Stan and Gus: Art, Ardor, and the Friendship That Built the Gilded Age
Henry Wiencek
Paper Book
How the architect Stanford White and the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens transcended scandal to enrich their times.Stanford White was a louche man-about-town and a canny cultural entrepreneur--the creator of landmark buildings that elevated American architecture to new heights. Augustus Saint...
Barnett Newman: Here
Amy Newman
Paper Book
The definitive biography of a transformational American artist and the city that shaped him Barnett Newman (1905-1970), a founding member of the abstract expressionist movement, was a contemporary of such figures as Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, and Clyfford...
America the Abandoned: Captivating Portraits of Deserted Homes
Bryan Sansivero
Paper Book
Through gorgeous, dramatic, and mysterious photography, Haunted America is a visual exploration of abandoned homes across the United States America is littered with abandoned homes, and all are subject to weather and natural decay. The furniture, decor, and personal...
The Club: Where American Women Artists Found Refuge in Belle Époque Paris
Jennifer Dasal
Paper Book
"Through masterful research and sparkling prose, The Club feels like an exclusive invitation to a Parisian enclave during an era of artistic and social transformation." -Michael Finkel, #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Art Thief A...
Japan Art Revolution: The Japanese Avant-Garde, from Angura to Provoke
Amelie Ravalec
Paper Book
A captivating examination of the avant-garde art scene in Japan in the 1960s and '70s, and the revolutionary Japanese artists who made it a creative force both in the country and around the world. The 1960s in Japan were a time of profound social change, political unrest, and...
Draw Your Adventures: Making Art to Celebrate Everyday Experiences and Travels Near and Far
Samantha Dion Baker
Paper Book
Capture the details of your unique and remarkable experiences with this illustrated guide to drawing your travels and adventures, whether close to home or around the world. In Draw Your Adventures, artist and illustrator Samantha Dion Baker invites you to savor moments and...
Hidden Portraits: Six Women Who Shaped Picasso's Life
Sue Roe
Paper Book
Fernande Olivier, Olga Khokhlova, Marie-Thérèse Walter, Dora Maar, Françoise Gilot, and Jacqueline Roque. These six extraordinary women loved and inspired Pablo Picasso. They frequently appear as the women in his portraits, but they also pursued their own ambitions in dance, writing, painting,...
Chaim Soutine: Genius, Obsession, and a Dramatic Life in Art
Celeste Marcus
Paper Book
A revelatory biography of the Jewish expressionist painter that corrects the myths surrounding his work and proves his importance to the contemporary art world "It's not often that an art history book comes along so sharply perceptive about its subject and so grippingly...
Making Art and Making a Living: Adventures in Funding a Creative Life
Mason Currey
Paper Book
"Mason Currey is the undisputed master of finding, in the messy lives of great artists and thinkers throughout time, deeply human lessons about cultivating meaning in our current age." --Cal Newport, New York Times bestselling author of Slow Productivity and Deep Work...
How to Art: Bringing a Fancy Subject Down to Earth
Kate Bryan
Paper Book
A funny, inviting, full-color book about art for people who don't know about "art"--featuring new artworks by David Shrigley.  What is art, where do I find it, and once I'm in front of it, what am I supposed to think about it? Kate Bryan is a self-confessed art...
Comrades in Art: Artists Against Fascism 1933-1943
Andy Friend
Paper Book
'A triumph' TLS 'Exemplary' Observer Author and curator Andy Friend explores the legacy of the Artists International Association in a compelling group biography set against a background of resistance to the rise of fascism in Europe. ...
State Fairs: Growing American Craft
Mary Savig
Paper Book
Your ticket to the best state fair crafts--from Choctaw basketry to sculpted butter cows--with more than 100 amazing images of American craft art! A Dolly Parton crop art portrait. Size-96 cowboy boots. A quilt incorporating the jean outfits of a farmer and his son. This book...
The Forever Home: Classic, Clever Design to Help You Put Down Roots
Mikel Welch
Paper Book
A LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR * This stunning, easy-to-follow design book shows homeowners and renters how to maximize their budget and create a space that is functional, timeless, and uniquely their own--from the co-host of Netflix's Hack My Home and in-house design...
Painting Woodland Watercolors: Learn to Paint Beautiful Mushrooms, Animals, Insects, and Other Forest Wonders
Rita Gould
Paper Book
Painting Woodland Watercolors by Rita Gould is a beautiful and comprehensive guide for beginner and intermediate artists, with step-by-step instructions, traceable templates, and video tutorials for painting mushrooms, plants, forest creatures, and more.
Art Fraud: 50 Fakes That Fooled the Art World
Susie Hodge
Paper Book
Art Fraud takes readers on a captivating journey into the hidden world of art deception and discovery, uncovering the stories behind some of the most prolific forgers and the crimes that shook the art world. Through profiles of notorious figures like Tom Keating and lesser-known but equally cunning...
Craftland: In Search of Lost Arts and Disappearing Trades
James Fox
Paper Book
An "impassioned and inspiring account of the extraordinary men and women still doing traditional artisanal work" (The Sunday Times) in the face of massive technological industrialization--by renowned Cambridge art historian Dr. James Fox. "Beautifully written and...
Make (Sneaky) Art: and other ideas to build your sketchbook habit
Nishant Jain
Paper Book
"Make (Sneaky) Art by Nishant Jain introduces the art of ""sneaky sketching,"" quickly capturing moments and people with minimal lines and offering an inspiring path to mindful creativity. "
Leaving Home: A Memoir in Full Colour
Mark Haddon
Paper Book
An unflinching, brilliantly written, darkly funny, lavishly illustrated memoir by the acclaimed author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time:  A ringing testament about how one artist sees the world, and how his experiences have shaped his vision "Tender,...
The Great Chinese Art Heist: Imperialism, Organized Crime, and the Hidden Story of China's Stolen Artistic Treasures
Ralph Pezzullo
Paper Book
The extraordinary story of the theft of priceless Chinese antiques around the world and the connection to crimes spanning more than two centuries--with present-day implications. For the past decade, the art world has been rocked by a series of very costly and elaborately planned...
Birth Flower Embroidery: A Month-by-Month Celebration of Floral Embroidery
Amy L. Frazer
With Birth Flower Embroidery, learn to embroider the birth flowers for each month of the year, and also gain helpful insight as you read about the meaning behind each birth month flower.
Reflections: On Cinematography
Roger Deakins
Paper Book
From a two-time Academy Award winner widely regarded as the greatest cinematographer of all time--a one-of-a-kind visual memoir, telling his life's story by way of his iconic, beloved films. Cinematography is both an art and science--capturing motion requires a...
Parallel Lives: A Love Story from a Lost Continent
Iain Pears
Paper Book
Best-selling novelist and art historian Iain Pears enchants readers with the real-life romance between Larissa Salmina, a Russian art curator, and Francis Haskell, a British art historian. His fabulous book brings into sharp focus the strange world of the Soviet Union, and the even stranger world...
With Her Own Hands: Women Weaving Their Stories
Nicole Nehrig
Paper Book
Knitting, sewing, embroidery, quilting--throughout history, these and other forms of textile work have often been dismissed as merely "women's work" and attached to ideas of domesticity and obedience. Yet, as psychologist and avid knitter Nicole Nehrig wonderfully explores in this captivating...
Dear New York
Brandon Stanton
Paper Book
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER THE ULTIMATE UPLIFTING GIFT BOOK OF THE YEAR Dear New York is a breathtaking new book from the #1 bestselling author of Humans of New York and one of the great storytellers of our time. Dear New...
Dungeons & Dragons Crochet: A Book of Many Patterns
Stacy King
Paper Book
Crochet your favorite creatures, wearables, and household items with twenty patterns inspired by the Dungeons & Dragons multiverse. Dive into a world of crochet and adventure with this delightful collection of patterns. Dungeons & Dragons Crochet gives fans and crocheters...
Nifty Gifty: Mini Crafts with Major Charm
Alexa Pedrero
Paper Book
The must-have guide to creating tiny, special, homemade presents for anyone you love! From popular TikTok crafter @Lauraleii. Whether you're a crafting newbie or a DIY dynamo, Nifty Gifty shows you how easy it is to make sweet and joyful miniature crafts that...
Emilio Pucci: The Astonishing Odyssey of a Fashion Icon
Terence Ward
Paper Book
"Graceful." --New York Times "Reads like a spy novel, but in this case the truth is stranger than fiction." --Vogue The Drama of War and Postwar Italy Through the Life of One of Its Most Celebrated Icons When...
The Last Kings of Hollywood: Coppola, Lucas, Spielberg―and the Battle for the Soul of American Cinema
Paul Fischer
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Riveting, grade A smack for cinema junkies...Fischer's writing pulsates." --Steven Soderbergh, filmmaker The untold, intimate story of how three young visionaries--Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg...
Patchwork Granny Square Blankets: Learn to Crochet Quilt-Inspired Throws, Home Décor & More
Anita Gibney
Paper Book
Patchwork Granny Square Blankets combines classic granny square motifs with quilt block design to create colorful and unique patchwork blankets for every home.
Stories From a Stranger: Every person has a story.
Hunter Prosper
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A collection of one hundred deeply personal stories--covering love and heartbreak, growth and resilience--brought to life by the creator of the wildly popular TikTok account @HunterProsper. Every person has a...
Dream Facades: Dream Facades: The Cruel Architecture of Reality TV (English Edition)
Jack Balderrama Morley
Paper Book
For fans of Jia Tolentino and Amanda Montell, a probing and lively exploration of the unlikely dwellings we regard on reality TV -- and what they say about American history, modern life, and the architecture of our desires. People like reality TV. There's been a lot written about...
True Color: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color--from Azure to Zinc Pink
Kory Stamper
Paper Book
A kaleidoscopic journey through the secret history of hues--and the story of the obsessive genius behind the definitions of colors we use today, from the beloved author of Word by Word "Wildly entertaining and bountifully informative; I couldn't have enjoyed myself more." -...
The Harmonious Home: Designing Peaceful, Personal Spaces Inspired by Nature
Rebecca Atwood
Paper Book
A holistic approach to creating a home using the colors, patterns, and textures found in the natural world, from the author of Living with Color and Living with Pattern. Hailed by Vogue for her "approachable patterns and textiles" Rebecca Atwood shares a new...
Richly Stitched Landscape Embroidery: Mastering Thread Painted Scenes
Cassandra Dias
Paper Book
Create magical landscapes that capture nature's beauty in every stitch! Discover the art of stitching majestic, swirling landscapes bursting with rich, thread-painted texture! Richly Stitched Landscape Embroidery teaches you to stitch stunning textile masterpieces that...
Zine Making and Bookbinding: A Beginner's Guide in 25 Projects
Lauren Simkin Berke
Paper Book
Learn to create zines and books with this approachable guide featuring illustrated, step-by-step lessons on making many different book formats. The possibilities are endless!Channel your passions into zines, create your own notebooks and calendars, and try your hand at impressive pop-up and...
Opera Wars: Inside the World of Opera and the Battles for Its Future
Caitlin Vincent
Paper Book
Blunt, irreverent, and at times wittily subversive, Opera Wars spotlights opera's colorful and sometimes warring personalities, increasingly fierce controversies over content, and the battles being waged for its economic future. Drawing on interviews with dozens of opera...

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