Art and Design

Recent movers and shakers in Art and Design.
Updated June 4, 2025
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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
Official book accompanying the blockbuster centenary celebration of Surrealism at the Centre Pompidou, Paris; 4 September 2024 - 13 January 2025. This essential catalogue explores the legacy of the art movement that changed everything. "Organisers say it is an unprecedented...
What art does : an unfinished theory
Eno, Brian
Paper Book
Why do we need art? What Art Does is an invitation to explore this vital question. It is a chance to understand how art is made by all of us. How it creates communities, opens our worlds, and can transform us. Curious and playful, richly illustrated,...
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 ...
Art, annotated : your expert guide to 500 of the world's greatest works of art
Braine, Aliki
Paper Book
A stunning art gallery in a book, art, annotated spans more than 3,000 years of paintings, sculptures, and prints. Combining stunning reproductions of each work of art with precise annotations and visual analysis, it is an expertly curated and comprehensive selection of...
How Banksy saved art history
Grovier, Kelly
Paper Book
A new take on the history ofart through the eyes of theinternational phenomenonthat is Banksy. Few would dispute that Banksy is the most famous urban artist in the world today. That he is also a perceptive art historian might come as a surprise to many. Taken together, the myriad...
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...
Wild Thing
Prideaux, Sue
Paper Book
A vital re-examination of the trailblazing and controversial artist Paul Gauguin, by the prize-winning author of I Am Dynamite!
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,...
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...
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....
Housesketching : learn to create energetic and expressive architectural drawings
Kiefer, Albert (Artist)
Paper Book
Explore creativity while learning how to draw lively, unique sketches of your favorite houses, shops, landmarks, and other buildings. Learning to sketch can be intimidating, especially when drawing subjects like architecture that seem to rely on perfect perspective,...
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...
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...
Church going : a stonemason's guide to the churches of the British Isles
Ziminski, Andrew
Paper Book
An insightful and charming history of Britain's churches - by an author who spends his life working in them
The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence
Stronge, Susan.
Paper Book
Stunning treasures from the dynasty that created the Taj Mahal are showcased in this lavish book. The Great Mughals presents, for the first time, the opulent, internationalist culture of Mughal Hindustan in the age of its greatest emperors: Akbar (r. 1556...
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...
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...
Caspar David Friedrich
Bertsch, Markus.
Paper Book
Published to mark the 250thanniversary of Caspar DavidFriedrich's birth, the mostthorough Friedrichretrospective 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 landscape...
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...
Fragmentary forms: a new history of collage / Freya Gowrley
Paper Book
A beautifully illustrated global history of collage from the origins of paper to today While the emergence of collage is frequently placed in the twentieth century when it was a favored medium of modern artists, its earliest beginnings are tied to the invention of paper in...
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.' -...
Vanessa Bell: a world of form and colour / edited by Fay Blanchard and Anthony Spira
Paper Book
This publication, together with the exhibition it accompanies, presents the largest ever survey of work by Vanessa Bell (1879-1961). Described in 1923 as 'the most important woman painter in Europe', Bell was a pioneering modernist and founding member of the Bloomsbury Group,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
We Need Your Art: Stop Messing Around and Make Something
McNee, Amie.
Paper Book
In We Need Your Art, Amie McNee calls artists and aspiring artists of all kinds to do the work they're meant to do- create. Using her own experiences as a novelist and the inspiration she's shared as a creative coach, Amie guides you on why we need your art and how you can make...
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...
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....
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...
A short history of Black craft in ten objects
Awake, Robell
Paper Book
Ten beautifully illustrated essays tell the stories of handcrafted objects and their makers, providing inspiration and insight into Black history and craftsmanship. Black artisans have long been central to American art and design, creating innovative and highly...
Yayoi Kusama
Vegara, Maria Isabel Sanchez/ Ichikawa, Ryoko (ILT)
Paper Book
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...
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...
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...
A short history of British architecture : from Stonehenge to the Shard
Jenkins, Simon
Paper Book
The architecture of Britain is an art gallery all around us. From our streets to squares, through our cities, suburbs and villages, we are surrounded by magnificent buildings of eclectic styles. A Short History of British Architecture is the gripping and untold story of why Britain looks the...
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...
Rogues And Scholars: Boom And Bust In The London Art Market, 1945-2000
Stourton, James.
Paper Book
A Times Best Art Book of the Year, 2024 'A riot of a book' - Country Life's Books of the Year, 2024 The modern art market was born on a single night. On 15 October 1958 Sotheby's of Bond Street staged an 'event sale' of Impressionist paintings from...
Draw Amazing Faces: Learn the Basics and Develop Your Own Style
Santos, Pypah.
Paper Book
Create stunning portraits while developing your own remarkable artistic style with this practical, inspiring, and easy-to-follow guide. Draw Amazing Faces is your go-to reference for crafting stunning portraits from scratch. Join Pypah Santos, the celebrated artist...
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...
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...

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