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Recommendations based on The Story of Artby E.H. Gombrich
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The Art Book
by Phaidon Press
A comprehensive guide to 500 of the world's greatest works of art.
An A to Z guide to 500 great painters and sculptors from medieval to modern times, it debunks art historical classifications by throwing together brilliant examples of all periods, schools, visions ... (Goodreads)
Ways of Seeing
by John Berger
A critical analysis of visual culture and how it shapes our perception of the world. It challenges traditional ways of seeing and encourages a new perspective.
John Berger’s Classic Text on Art John Berger's Ways of Seeing is one of the most stimulating and the most influential books on art in any language. First published in 1972, it was based on the BBC ... (Goodreads)
A Little History of the World
by E.H. Gombrich
A concise and engaging history of the world, from prehistoric times to the present day, written for young readers but enjoyable for all ages.
In 1935, with a doctorate in art history and no prospect of a job, the 26-year-old Ernst Gombrich was invited by a publishing acquaintance to attempt a history of the world for younger readers. ... (Goodreads)
The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
by Betty Edwards
Exploring creativity through the science of art, unlocking the power of the right side of the brain.
When Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain was first published in 1979, it hit the New York Times bestseller list within two weeks and stayed there for more than a year. In 1989, when Dr. Betty ... (Goodreads)
The Lives of the Artists
by Giorgio Vasari
A collection of biographies of Italian Renaissance artists, revealing their lives, works, and techniques.
Packed with facts, attributions, and entertaining anecdotes about his contemporaries, Giorgio Vasari's collection of biographical accounts also presents a highly influential theory of the development ... (Goodreads)
Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils
by David Bayles
A guide for artists on how to overcome the fears and doubts that come with creating art and how to persevere through the creative process.
"This is a book about making art. Ordinary art. Ordinary art means something like: all art not made by Mozart. After all, art is rarely made by Mozart-like people; essentially-statistically ... (Goodreads)
Wall and Piece
by Banksy
An introduction to the subversive street art of Banksy, with visual commentary on modern life.
Banksy, Britain's now-legendary "guerilla" street artist, has painted the walls, streets, and bridges of towns and cities throughout the world. Not only did he smuggle his pieces into four of New ... (Goodreads)
M.C. Escher: The Graphic Work
by M.C. Escher
An exploration of the art of M.C. Escher, differing perspectives in visual illusions.
Presenting the structurally unthinkable as though it were a law of nature M.C. Escher was born in 1898 in Leeuwarden (Netherlands). He received his first drawing lessons during secondary school from ... (Goodreads)
History of Beauty
by Umberto Eco
An exploration of the concept of beauty throughout time, from antiquity to the present day.
Umberto Eco’s groundbreaking and much-acclaimed first illustrated book has been a critical success since its first publication in 2004. What is beauty? Umberto Eco, among Italy’s finest and most ... (Goodreads)
Concerning the Spiritual in Art
by Wassily Kandinsky
A philosophical examination of the spiritual and creative power of art.
A pioneering work in the movement to free art from its traditional bonds to material reality, this book is one of the most important documents in the history of modern art. Written by the famous ... (Goodreads)
Thus Spoke Zarathustra
by Friedrich Nietzsche
A philosophical treatise exploring morality, religion, and the meaning of life.
Color: A Natural History of the Palette
by Victoria Finlay
Exploration of the history, science, and cultural significance of color.
Discover the tantalizing true stories behind your favorite colors. For example: Cleopatra used saffron—a source of the color yellow—for seduction. Extracted from an Afghan mine, the blue ... (Goodreads)
Seven Days in the Art World
by Sarah Thornton
An inside look at the contemporary art world, exploring its various facets and players.
A fly-on-the-wall account of the smart and strange subcultures that make, trade, curate, collect, and hype contemporary art., The art market has been booming. Museum attendance is surging. More ... (Barnes & Noble)
Dear Theo
by Vincent van Gogh
Autobiographical letters from the artist to his brother, chronicling his struggles with poverty and mental illness.
Each night, Vincent van Gogh put pen to paper and poured out his heart through letters to his brother Theo. Van Gogh's letters lay bare his deepest feelings, as well as his everyday concerns and his ... (Goodreads)
Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography
by Roland Barthes
An exploration of the nature of photography and its power to evoke emotion.
A graceful, contemplative volume, Camera Lucida was first published in 1979. Commenting on artists such as Avedon, Clifford, Mapplethorpe, and Nadar, Roland Barthes presents photography as being ... (Goodreads)
Vincent Van Gogh: The Complete Paintings
by Rainer Metzger
A comprehensive collection of Vincent Van Gogh's paintings, showcasing his unique style and artistic evolution.
Van Gogh, who took up a variety of professions before becoming an artist, was a solitary, despairing and self-destructive man. This richly illustrated and expert study follows the artist from the ... (Goodreads)
Dali
by Robert Descharnes
A comprehensive biography of the surrealist artist Salvador Dali, exploring his life, art, and eccentricities.
This publication presents in 2 volumes in a box the entire painted oeuvre of Salvadore Dali (1904-1989). After many years of research, Robert Descharnes and Gilles Neret finally located all the ... (Goodreads)
The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility, and Other Writings on Media
by Walter Benjamin
Reflection on the impact of technology on art, culture and society.
Benjamin’s famous 'Work of Art' essay sets out his boldest thoughts–on media and on culture in general--in their most realized form, while retaining an edge that gets under the skin of everyone who ... (Goodreads)
The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity
by Julia Cameron
Exploring the power of the creative spirit and unlocking the potential of the inner artist.
The Artist’s Way is the seminal book on the subject of creativity. An international bestseller, millions of readers have found it to be an invaluable guide to living the artist’s life. Still as vital ... (Goodreads)
Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
by Austin Kleon
A guide to unlocking creativity by embracing influence, stealing ideas, and making something new.
You don’t need to be a genius, you just need to be yourself. That’s the message from Austin Kleon, a young writer and artist who knows that creativity is everywhere, creativity is for everyone. A ... (Goodreads)
Tao Te Ching
by Lao Tzu
A collection of wise sayings and reflections on the nature of existence.
A lucid translation of the well-known Taoist classic by a leading scholar-now in a Shambhala Pocket Library edition. Written more than two thousand years ago, the Tao Teh Ching , or -The Classic of ... (Goodreads)
The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait
by Frida Kahlo
A collection of personal diary entries and sketches by the iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, providing insight into her life and art.
Published here in its entirety, Frida Kahlo's amazing illustrated journal documents the last ten years of her turbulent life. This passionate, often surprising, intimate record, kept under lock and ... (Goodreads)
Edvard Munch: 1863-1944
by Ulrich Bischoff
A comprehensive overview of the life and works of Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, known for his emotionally charged and expressionistic art.
For Edvard Munch (1863-1944), painting was an act of self-liberation. His treatments of fear, desperation, and death still exert a powerful visual and psychological effect on modern viewers. Of all ... (Goodreads)
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
by Jared Diamond
Tracing the origins of human civilizations through the lens of geography, technology, and biology.
"Diamond has written a book of remarkable scope ... one of the most important and readable works on the human past published in recent years." Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and a national bestseller: ... (Goodreads)
Anatomy for the Artist
by Jenő Barcsay
Detailed illustrations and explanations of human anatomy for artists to improve their understanding and depiction of the human form.
It’s the classic in its field—a reference work of unparalleled importance for all professionals and students of art. This superb art manual is the best guide available on a subject that has ... (Goodreads)
History of Art
by H.W. Janson
Comprehensive overview of art history, from prehistoric times to modern day. Includes analysis of major works and movements.
For 1000s of art lovers both amateur & professional, esthetic life began with Janson, as his History of Art is often called. In the 1st edition, published in 1962, he spoke to that perennial reader ... (Goodreads)
The Power of Art
by Simon Schama
Exploration of the ways in which art has shaped the world, from antiquity to the present.
"Great art has dreadful manners," Simon Schama observes wryly at the start of his epic and explosive exploration of the power, and whole point, of art. "The hushed reverence of the gallery can fool ... (Goodreads)
Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth
by Apostolos Doxiadis
A historical exploration of the development of logical thinking, from ancient Greece to the 20th century.
Set between the late 19th century and the present day, the graphic novel Logicomix is based on the story of the so-called "foundational quest" in mathematics. Logicomix intertwines the philosophical ... (Wikipedia)
Leonardo's Notebooks
by Leonardo da Vinci
A collection of writings and drawings exploring the mind of a genius inventor.
Leonardo's Notebooks, is a biography of the genius in his own words, connecting moments of his life to artistic accomplishments through his writings, drawings, and intimate thoughts. Leonardo da ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Selfish Gene
by Richard Dawkins
A study of evolutionary biology, exploring how genes act and how they impact behavior.
Inheriting the mantle of revolutionary biologist from Darwin, Watson, and Crick, Richard Dawkins forced an enormous change in the way we see ourselves and the world with the publication of The ... (Goodreads)
