Book Review
Where Would Contemporary Art Be Without Plastic?
A new anthology on plastics in art reveals the philosophical conundrums and contradictions at the heart of a material the world relies on.
Princeton University Press
Book Review
Michelangelo and Titian’s Rivalry That May Never Have Been
William E. Wallace openly uses what he calls “informed imagination” to explore the relationship between the two masters in his new study.
Books
London's History, Washed Up on the Shores of the Thames
Author Malcolm Russell's novel approach to history — finding it as it washes up on the riverbanks — makes the past seem very much alive.
Books
How Painter-Architects Brought Built Spaces to Life
Architectural drawings were limited to mostly monochrome in Europe until color appeared in the 17th century.
Books
How Venetian Glass Seduced American Artists a Century Ago
A lavishly illustrated, fascinating book explores the resurgence of Venetian glass and the ways it influenced American ideas about taste and beauty.
Books
A Food-Obsessed Frolic Through Western Art History
An art historian and food and wine writer, Leonard Barkan roves from Pompeiian mosaics to Bible passages to Shakespearean plays in search of food and drink.
Books
Carrie Mae Weems’s Visual Response to Sam Cooke's “A Change Is Gonna Come”
Weems’s essay is excerpted from Ways of Hearing: Reflections on Music in 26 Pieces.
Books
Why Early Modern European Artists Were Obsessed With Shells
From Leonardo to Rembrandt, artists were drawn to these soft and glowing forms.
Books
A Beautiful Guide to Colors in the Natural World, Revisited 200 Years Later
"Nature’s Palette" reproduces the groundbreaking color systems and illustrates them with lush engravings.
Books
Michelangelo’s Last Two Decades Were His Busiest and Loneliest
William E. Wallace excavates a lesser-known but crucial final chapter of the artist’s approximately 75-year career.
Books
Analyzing the Biases of Western Art History With Hard Data
Careful and yet compellingly fresh in its approach, Painting by Numbers offers a new kind of methods book.
Books
Roni Horn’s Memories and Meditations About Weather
Prosaic and profound, Horn’s book "Island Zombie" feels like standing before art again.