Art & Photography

I have long admired Andy Goldsworthy’s intricate, stunning artwork. Working outdoors almost daily and using materials found on site, he creates complex, symmetrical structures and designs. As these works are often temporary and frequently collapse during their creation, this requires immense patience and concentration. This book features about 200 works, selected by Goldsworthy himself, that showcase his career and creative process. It is indescribably beautiful. It leaves me speechless every time I look at it.  —Flannery

Acclaimed artist and storyteller Maira Kalman celebrates the dog in her new book. With her unique style, Kalman allows us to become the dog’s companion for once, seeing the world, with all its wonder and fascination, through dogs’ eyes—or sampling the facets of humanity around the world and discovering dogs ever-present. A beautiful work for anyone who has ever loved a small or large furry friend. —Jocelyn

The author of more than a couple of the best British novels in recent memory, including Flaubert’s Parrot and The Sense of an Ending, Barnes is also a very serious fan of 19th- and 20th-century art. Here he brings his two passions—painting and writing—together in a series of essays about some of the greatest artists of the last 200 years, including Delacroix, Cezanne, and Magritte, illuminating their process, their often-drama-filled lives, and their towering artistic achievements. —Rico

In The Scent of a Dream, photographer Sebastião Salgado’s brilliance at working with light and shadow helps him stunningly capture the beauty of the natural environment coffee is grown in. His photos brim with respect and appreciation for the labor of his those who produce the coffee beans. The visual beauty makes the book feel completely non-preachy, yet it is imbued with a social message—that of the connection between those who consume and those who produce. What lover of coffee can look at these images and fail to feel connected to the people in them? Can fail to reflect on how their own choices might affect the lives and health of those who bring us our morning cuppa?  —Nici                          

The authors of the best-selling Brunelleschi’s Dome (King) and The Louvre (Grebe) join forces to lead us through the major paintings and frescoes of Florence, Italy, including every single painting in the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia, and the Duomo, along with important works from 28 other churches. Featuring stunning color plates and insightful commentary, this large-format gift book is simply glorious. Short of an all-expenses-paid trip to Italy, it’s the best holiday gift an art lover could ask for.  —Rico

Open this book and you, quite literally, peek into the personal sketchbooks of people from all over the world. The Sketchbook Project invites participants to fill sketchbooks—with drawings, paintings, collages—then send them the Brooklyn Art Library, where tens of thousands of journals form an inspiring collection that is profiled in this book. The Sketchbook Project World Tour is a colorful and exciting glimpse into the hearts, minds, and experiences of a global community.

This gorgeous new book features the best work of the members of Ladies of Letterpress, an international organization that champions the work of women printers. It includes a wide range of pieces, from greeting cards to broadsides and posters, printed in a variety of type and illustration styles. Besides being an awesome resource and offering design inspiration, this book includes over 80 removable 11x17” posters. It would make a terrific gift for graduates—or anyone with empty walls to fill.

Hello, daily dose of pure joy! It matters not whether you already have Underwater Dogs or whether you even like dogs, I dare you to resist smiling as you turn each lavishly photographed page. These wide-eyed, wondrous, adventurous, delightfully adorable puppies are a natural endorphin rush. I swear, this book is good for your health. 

Ansel Adams always had a special affinity for Yosemite, and that connection is apparent in his photographs of the valley and outlying area. I love the way his images capture the wild spirit of the granite spires, twisting trees, and reflective waters. Released as a celebration of Yosemite’s 150 years, this magnificent book is a worthy homage to both a breathtaking place and an iconic photographer.

Artist Maira Kalman has curated a book of beautiful, delicate, extraordinary, and weird objects from the Cooper Hewitt Museum that have one thing in common: They make her gasp with delight. She weaves her own personal history though these objects, her notes being at once intimate, universally human and empathetic. Her illustrations are so lush and satisfying you could stare at the colors and brushstrokes all day. My Favorite Things is funny, somber, sweet, and quirky.