Art & Photography

“I became a painter because I wanted to raise painting to the level of poignancy of music and poetry.” This first full-length biography of one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, finally available in paperback, draws on exclusive access to Mark Rothko’s personal papers and hundreds of interviews with artists, patrons, and dealers. “Mr. Breslin’s book is, in my opinion, the best life of an American painter that has yet been written…a biographical classic. It is painstakingly researched, fluently written and unfailingly intelligent in tracing the tragic course of its subject’s tormented character.” —Hilton Kramer, New York Times Book Review, front page review

Cartographies of Time is an eye-popping record of the ways that mapmakers, chronologists, artists and others have tried to convey the passage of time visually. The timeline is a metaphor so fundamental to the visual representation of time today—in almanacs, calendars, charts, and graphs—that it can be difficult to recall that a linear concept of time was “invented” at all. This fascinating and beautiful book showcases graphic representations of European and American history and the evolution of the modern timeline.

This is a spectacular new book from one of photography’s luminaries, Annie Leibovitz. For this project, she traveled to a variety places that had meaning to her, places she chose solely because she wanted to, and photographed them the way she wanted to. The result is a soulful and beautiful collection. (The cover image of Pilgrimage is Niagara Falls, as seen from the lip of the falls—amazing!)

Written by a painting professor, this little gem promises to be a necessity for both artist and art enthusiast alike. To make her ideas more accessible and applicable, White pairs each of her 101 tips for discarding the constraints often associated with art with a small piece of her own art. Throughout this tiny, succinct book, she strives to support her first and most important lesson, “Art can be anything.”

Fans (young and old) of graphic art or illustration will be inspired and captivated by French illustrator Blexbolex’s new book. A collection of simple yet sophisticated silkscreens that look both vintage and modern at the same time, with each page featuring a single image of a person with a word caption at the top. The artwork is gorgeous, but the real brilliance lies in the juxtaposition of images and text (painter next to tagger; nudist next to invisible man). Blexbolex’s previous book, Seasons, was a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2010; look for this one to be highly acclaimed, as well.

The ultimate book for art lovers! Yes, it’s $200, but The Art Museum is quite possibly the finest art collection ever assembled between two covers. A virtual art museum in a book, it features 1,000 oversized pages of over 2,700 works of art—from Leonardo’s Mona Lisa to paintings from the caves at Lascaux. Ten years in the making, this unique book was created with a global team of specialists in all fields of art, including museum curators and educators, who collected important works as they might be displayed in the ideal museum for the art lover. It is spectacular.

Looking for a less virtual collection of artwork? This gorgeous book showcases every single painting in the permanent collection of the Louvre, the most visited museum in the world. It even comes with a companion DVD, which can be browsed by artist, date, school, genre, or location in the Louvre. That last feature means you can tour the Louvre room by room, as if you were walking through the building—but without all the crowds!