Art and Design

Recent movers and shakers in Art and Design.
Updated May 5, 2025
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Paris in ruins : love, war, and the birth of Impressionism
Smee, Sebastian
Paper Book
From the summer of 1870 to the spring of 1871, famously dubbed the "Terrible Year" by Victor Hugo, Paris and its people were besieged, starved, and forced into surrender by Germans--then imperiled again as radical republicans established a breakaway Commune, ultimately crushed by the French Army...
Surrealism: the centenary exhibition
Paper Book
"Organisers say it is an unprecedented way to organise an exhibition: while some works and themes remain constant in each city, others change and each museum tells its own story. Perfect, then, for a movement that always aimed to subvert traditional artistic norms." -- The Guardian
All That Glitters: A Story of Friendship, Fraud, and Fine Art
Whitfield, Orlando.
Paper Book
A NEW YORKER, ECONOMIST, AND TOWN & COUNTRY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR * A dazzling insider's account of the contemporary art world and the stunning rise and fall of the charismatic American art dealer Inigo Philbrick, as seen through the eyes of his friend and fellow dealer ...
How painting happens (and why it matters) / Martin Gayford
Paper Book
A Times Book of the Year 'This is as clear a piece of writing about the experience of looking at a great painting as I have ever read ... Gayford seems to have seen everything and thought deeply about all of it' Andrew Marr, New Statesman 'If you...
How Banksy saved art history
Grovier, Kelly
Paper Book
A Spectator Book of the Year 'Grovier's book reframes [Banksy's] works in a new light. Inextricably linked to Da Vinci, Monet and Van Gogh, Banksy not only makes art but reinvigorates it' Daily Mail A new take on the history of art - from...
Mondrian: His Life, His Art, His Quest for the Absolute
Weber, Nicholas Fox.
Paper Book
The extraordinary and surprising life of Piet Mondrian, whose unprecedented geometric art revolutionized modern painting, architecture, graphic art, fashion design, and more-from acclaimed cultural historian Nicholas Fox Weber "As fastidiously passionate as his subject's paintings....
Still Waters & Wild Waves: The beautiful new book from printmaker and illustrator Angela Harding
Harding, Angela.
Paper Book
*One of Waterstones' Best Nature Books of the Year 2024* Featuring over 50 original illustrations of dramatic seascapes and reflective rivers, alongside photography of the stunning places that inspired the artwork, Angela Harding's beautiful new book captures the waters...
Manet : a model family
Manet, Édouard
Paper Book
A groundbreaking and richly illustrated account of the importance of Manet's family to his art All families are complicated, but the family of Édouard Manet (1832-1883) was more complicated than most. The artist married a piano teacher who worked for his wealthy parents. Her...
Housesketching : learn to create energetic and expressive architectural drawings
Kiefer, Albert (Artist)
Paper Book
Housesketching shows artists of all skill levels how to sketch architecture expressively and become more creative in the process.
Great women sculptors
Clark, Olivia
Paper Book
As seen in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and ELLE Decoration 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...
Interwar : British architecture, 1919-39
Stamp, Gavin
Paper Book
British architecture between the wars is most famous for the rise of modernism - the flat roofs, clean lines and concrete of the Isokon flats in Hampstead and the Penguin Pool at London Zoo - but the reality was far more diverse. As the modernists came of age and the traditionalists began to decline...
Studio Ghibli : architecture in animation
Fujimori, Terunobu
Paper Book
A deluxe art book featuring exclusive commentary, sketches, concept art, and paintings detailing the unique architecture in Studio Ghibli's films. Explore the dazzling animated worlds of Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind,...
Church going : a stonemason's guide to the churches of the British Isles
Ziminski, Andrew
Paper Book
'A joyous and illuminating exploration of our glorious heritage of old churches. A must for anyone who's ever stared at an apse or a misericord with no idea what they're looking at' - Sir Tony Robinson'Captivating ... Brims with humour and humanity' - 'Book of the Week', The Times'There are few...
Designing Terry Pratchett's Discworld
Kidby, Paul.
Paper Book
Go behind the scenes of the iconic Discworld series with this beautiful, illustrated hardback, the perfect gift book for any fantasy fan this holiday season. 'It's still magic, even if you know how it's done' SIR TERRY PRATCHETT Sir Terry Pratchett was one of the...
Drawing basics and beyond : transform observation into imagination
Kim, Sorie
Paper Book
Take your sketching practice to the next level with this practical and inspiring guide to drawing what you see...and beyond. Sketching from life is critical to learning how to draw. It's also an invaluable source of creative inspiration. In Drawing Basics and...
Materialized Space: The Architecture of Paul Rudolph
Thomas, Abraham.
Paper Book
A reassessment of the career of architect Paul Rudolph, from his modernist Sarasota houses to his controversial Brutalist buildings and later international projects, featuring unpublished drawings, models, and furniture   Architect Paul Rudolph (1918-1997) was...
Caspar David Friedrich
Bertsch, Markus.
Paper Book
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 major social upheaval. His...
Tree : exploring the arboreal world
Paper Book
As seen in The Guardian, Harper's Bazaar, and Wall Street Journal 'It's no secret that I adore trees. This book is a most glorious cornucopia celebrating our enduring love affair with trees - an uplifting and eye-opening tribute to the way they enrich our lives.' -...
Mandalas : mapping the Buddhist art of Tibet
Behrendt, Kurt A.
Paper Book
Exploring the significance of Tibetan mandalas from their ancient origins to the present day, this gorgeously illustrated volume provides a contemporary perspective on a centuries-old Buddhist model of the universe   A New York Times "Best Art Book of...
Art heist : 50 artworks you will never see
Hodge, Susie
Paper Book
An intriguing investigation into over 50 elusive artworks that were stolen and never recovered. Mona Lisa, Starry Night, Birth of Venus. People travel for hundreds of miles to observe these breathtaking paintings with their own eyes. Now discover the...
Wild Thing
Prideaux, Sue
Paper Book
A TIMES, DAILY TELEGRAPH, SPECTATOR, ECONOMIST, NEW STATESMAN AND TLS BOOK OF THE YEAR LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2025 WINNER OF THE POL ROGER DUFF COOPER PRIZE 2025 SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR...
Giacometti in Paris: A Life
Peppiatt, Michael.
Paper Book
THE TIMES AND WATERSTONES BEST ART BOOK OF 2023 'Marvellous . . . intimate and insightful . . . reads like a novel by Samuel Beckett' Paul Theroux A portrait of one of the twentieth century's greatest sculptors from one of our most eminent art historians...
I. M. Pei : life is architecture
Surya, Shirley
Paper Book
The story of internationally renowned architect I. M. Pei's life and work, including such instantly recognisable buildings as the glass pyramid at the Louvre, Paris, and the National Gallery of Art's extension in Washington, D.C. I. M. Pei (1917-2019) was one of the world's...
Taylor Swift style : fashion through the eras
Chapelle, Sarah
Paper Book
For Taylor Swift, fashion and music go hand-in-hand - each playing a powerful role in shaping the narrative of this generation's most prolific storyteller. Red lipstick isn't just a makeup choice - it's the emblem of an era. A miniskirt isn't simply part of a cute outfit - it's a coat of armour....
Sublime light : tapestry art of DY Begay
Ganteaume, Cécile R.
Paper Book
The first book dedicated to the contemporary Dine artist, featuring 80 stunning tapestries and essays exploring her life and legacy. Discover the unique weaving traditions of the Navajo Nation in this joyous celebration of Indigenous art and history. A fifth...
Drawing and illustrating architecture : a step-by -step guide to the art of drawing and illustrating beautiful buildings
Lang, Demi
Paper Book
An insightful and comprehensive guide to mastering the art of drawing and illustrating architecture. Inspiring architecture and beautiful buildings are all around us. Artists often gravitate toward building facades, doors, windows, and roofs that tell a story, convey history, and...
Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection
Forbes, Duncan.
Paper Book
A who's who of photographer and subject featuring 150 of the most striking images from Fragile Beauty: The Elton John and David Furnish Photography Collection. Over the past three decades, Sir Elton John and David Furnish have carefully built an...
Entangled pasts, 1768-now : art, colonialism and change
Price, Dorothy C.
Paper Book
J.M.W. Turner and Ellen Gallagher, Joshua Reynolds and Yinka Shonibare. John Singleton Copley and Hew Locke, Past and present collide in this powerful mix of contemporary and historic artwork that examines art and its role in shaping narratives of empire, enslavement, resistance, abolition and...
Drawn testimony : my four decades as a courtroom sketch artist
Rosenberg, Jane (Courtroom artist)
Paper Book
From America's top courtroom sketch artist, a penetrating, compulsively readable memoir about her dramatic four-decade career "A mesmerizing look at this rarest of professions..."-Bookpage STARRED review "Readers will be hard-pressed to...
The Universe In 100 Colors: Weird And Wondrous Colors From Science And Nature
Thrasher, Tyler.
Paper Book
At the intersection of science, art, and design, this must-have coffee table book highlights 100 mind-blowing colors that you've likely never seen before. From Instagram sensation and self-described "mad scientist artist" Tyler Thrasher and creator of the popular Matter subscription...
Historic building mythbusting : uncovering folklore, history and archaeology
Wright, James (Archaeologist)
Paper Book
'Funny, occasionally filthy and ultimately fascinating.' - Richard Herring, comedian Go to any ancient building in the land and there will be interesting and exciting stories presented to the visitor. Tales of secret passages and hidden tunnels, strange marks and carvings...
Van Gogh and the end of nature
Lobel, Michael
Paper Book
A groundbreaking reassessment that foregrounds Van Gogh's profound engagement with the industrial age while making his work newly relevant for our world today   "Van Gogh has never seemed more relevant. This stands as my favorite book of the year in any genre...
Home matters : how our homes shape us, and we shape them
Wincer, Penny
Paper Book
As an interiors photographer, Penny Wincer found that walking through a stranger's home, listening to them explaining the history of the space, and the meaning of precious objects, was one of most joyful aspects of her work. And in Home Matters Penny does exactly that, taking us...
Mary Cassatt at work / Jennifer A. Thompson and Laurel Garber
Paper Book
A new study of Mary Cassatt that explores the centrality of work to both her inventive technical practice and her distinctive approach to modern subjects       Mary Cassatt's (1844-1926) sensitive depictions of the social, intellectual, and...
Pigments / Barbara H. Berrie, Karin Leonhard, and Ittai Weinryb
Paper Book
A concise illustrated history of one of art's most important and elusive elements Over the millennia, humans have used pigments to decorate, narrate, and instruct. Charred bone, ground earth, stones, bugs, and blood were the first pigments. New pigments were manufactured by...
Michelangelo : the last decades
Vowles, Sarah
Paper Book
Tracing the final 30 years of Michelangelo's career, this book examines how the great master used art and faith to explore the common human experience of ageing in a rapidly changing world. 'This fascinating and beautifully illustrated catalogue demonstrates the creativity of...
Discover Degas & Miss La La / Anne Robbins and Chiara Di Stefano
Paper Book
The extraordinary story behind Degas's groundbreaking painting of the African-American circus performer Miss La La.   Edgar Degas's Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando (1879) is one of only two paintings by the artist representing people of colour....
The world according to David Hockney
Hockney, David
Paper Book
A collection of legendary British artist David Hockney's insights into art, life, nature, creativity and much more. 'I've always been a looker ... that's what artists do' This anthology of quotations by David Hockney follows in the successful format of 'The World...
National Geographic world from above
Kerby, Jeffrey
Paper Book
Go on a global aerial odyssey with this photographic compendium of more than 200 full-color images from on high, by the world's most innovative photographers at National Geographic. See the world from a unique perspective with this gorgeous, oversized coffee table book-the perfect...
The slow down : for the love of home
Ford, Leanne
Paper Book
Designer and HGTV personality Leanne Ford shares design secrets and personal reflections on how she creates her warm, chic, and easy-going aesthetic--and how you can do the same Leanne Ford's imperfectly perfect designs inspire more than half a million social media fans daily....
How to read portraits
Galitz, Kathryn Calley
Paper Book
This latest volume in The Met's acclaimed How to Read series explores the meaning of portraiture across time and cultures--from funerary masks to realism to abstraction   Portraiture goes far beyond capturing a likeness. Portraits speak to such fundamental human...
The Met : a history of a museum and its people
Conlin, Jonathan
Paper Book
New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the world's greatest cultural institutions. Its holdings encompass a vast range--including paintings, sculptures, costumes, instruments, and arms and armor--and span millennia, from ancient Egypt and Greece to Islamic art to European Old Masters...
Debt free art degree : foundations in drawing : the affordable way to learn professional skills
Bucci, Marco
Paper Book
Debt-Free Art Degree: Foundations in Drawing offers an affordable, easy-to-follow education in drawing that includes all the instruction and encouragement you need to succeed.

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.