Category: Books
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Christine Coulson’s Metropolitan Stories: an Ode to the Met
Christine Coulson’s Metropolitan Stories: A Novel is a beautiful, whimsical poetic ode to one of the world’s most significant art museums – the Met.
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King of the Confessors: a Crazy Story About the Cloisters Cross
Thomas Hoving’s King of the Confessors is about his adventures in acquiring the so-called Cloisters Cross. The story is wild, and I couldn’t put it down.
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American Artists and the American Revolution
In the USA, paintings help us experience the story of our country’s origins. Paul Staiti’s book talks about five major painters of the American Revolution.
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The Self-Portrait: A Cultural History, by James Hall
James Hall’s The Self-Portrait: A Cultural History is an interesting, well-thought-out assessment of self-portrait painting as a cultural phenomenon.
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The Mystery of the Disappearing Velasquez (maybe)
The Vanishing Velasquez tells the wild but true story of a man who believed that he owned a lost Velasquez masterpiece. It’s still an unsolved mystery.
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Turner: The Life Behind the Paintings
If you enjoy the works of J.M.W. Turner and want to know more about him, I suggest reading Franny Moyle’s comprehensive book about his life and art.
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Colorful Travels with Victoria Finlay
Victoria Finlay travelled across the world to research historical sources of color. Her book is full of surprising and sometimes alarming facts.
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The Mysterious Daughters of Edward Darley Boit
John Singer Sargent’s The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit is both compelling and mysterious, and interpretations of the work have changed over time.
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Giorgio Vasari, the First Art Historian
Giorgio Vasari is considered the father of art history. A new biography of Vasari, published in 2017, takes a complete look at his life and work.
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Rogue’s Gallery – Art Dealers as Colorful as any Artist
Rogue’s Gallery is a fascinating book about the history of art dealers. As it turns out, it’s not just the artists who have big personalities.
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Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts
My thoughts on Meetings With Remarkable Manuscripts, a really excellent and informative book about twelve, world-class medieval manuscripts.
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The Lost Painting by Jonathan Harr
The Lost Painting is about the rediscovery of a lost Caravaggio painting. It’s basically a thrilling mystery novel that features art instead of crime.
