Top Art Books of the Modern Era to Explore Currently

Immerse yourself in the world of art with these five groundbreaking books that are shaping current art scholarship and public appreciation. Each title offers a unique perspective on art history, contemporary art, and the intersection of art and culture.

1. Gertrude Abercrombie: The Whole World Is a Mystery

This authoritative book, edited by Eric Crosby and Sarah Humphreville, delves into the psychological depth of midcentury surrealist painter Gertrude Abercrombie. The book reveals the dreamlike interiors and lone female figures in her work, situating her in context with jazz, art history, and personal mythology. The recent major retrospective and critical reevaluation underscore the book's timely importance [1].

2. The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland

Michelle Young's work uncovers an extraordinary intersection of art history and war resistance, focusing on Rose Valland’s secret efforts to save art during WWII. The book offers a compelling narrative of art’s role in history and memory [1].

3. Designing Terry Pratchett’s Discworld (2024)

Paul Kidby's upcoming book celebrates the visual creation behind the Discworld series, bridging fantasy art, literary worldbuilding, and popular culture. It illustrates how art inspires storytelling and enriches fictional universes, making it a key reference for creative inspiration [3].

4. Johannes Vermeer and Scholarly Collections/Exhibitions

While not a single book, scholarly collections or exhibitions on painters like Johannes Vermeer offer profound insights into his quiet yet captivating work [1]. Major venues such as the Frick Collection often present displays accompanied by books that delve deep into Vermeer's oeuvre.

5. Roy Lichtenstein and Pop Art

Books examining Roy Lichtenstein's work and Pop Art more broadly continue to hold considerable influence, particularly those exploring his use of comic strip imagery and commercial techniques to challenge art hierarchies and comment on culture and politics of the 1960s. Such books highlight the lasting impact of Pop Art on contemporary visual culture [4].

Additional Notable Mentions

Isabelle Cahn's huge slip-cased monograph on Pierre Bonnard offers both the scale and quality needed to immerse oneself in Bonnard's copious output.
'Abstract Expressionists: The Women' by Ellen G. Landau and Joan M. Marter highlights the female counterparts of famous Abstract Expressionist artists such as Lee Krasner, Perle Fine, Dorothy Dehner, Helen Frankenthaler, and Alma Thomas.
'Photography Now: Fifty Pioneers Defining Photography for the Twenty-First Century' is a book that surveys the work of 50 most significant photographers working today, featuring Nan Goldin, Wolfgang Tillmans, Hassan Hajjaj, Andreas Gursky, Juno Calypso, Zanele Muholi, Shirin Neshat, Catherine Opie, Martin Parr, Cindy Sherman, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Juergen Teller. Charlotte Jansen's book features high-quality reproductions of the artists' work, commentary, and interviews.
'Prospect Cottage: Derek Jarman's House, by Gilbert McCarragher, invites us to experience the world as Jarman saw it from within his house.
'From the Sculptor's Studio' is a book that features conversations with 20 seminal sculptors, including Antony Gormley, Anish Kapoor, Cornelia Parker, Marc Quinn, Eva Rothschild, and Rachel Whiteread. Ina Cole's book features 165 images of studios and artworks, alongside portraits of each sculptor.
'The Gourmand's Egg' is a book that celebrates the relationship between eggs and art, featuring written contributions from Ruth Reichl and Jennifer Higgie, and covering the full spectrum of egg potential.
'Japanese Woodblock Prints, by Andreas Marks, presents a visual history of woodblock paintings and provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of Japanese art.
Gareth Harris' book 'Censored Art Today' explores debates and scrutiny surrounding censorship in arts and culture, discussing political censorship in various countries, suppression of LGBTQ+ artists, cancel culture, and algorithms policing art online.
"Ernst Gombrich's manual, The Story of Art, has been published in more than 30 languages and has been a global bestseller for over half a century."
The English-language monograph on Adriana Varejão explores her work, which reifies the legacy of Brazil's colonial past, pluralist identities, disparate cultures, religion, eroticism, and modernism.
"Luna Luna: The Art Amusement Park, by André Heller, chronicles the art-meets-amusement utopia that was born in 1987, featuring the works of David Hockney, Roy Lichtenstein, Salvador Dali, and Keith Haring."
'Great Women Painters' is framed as an A-Z of the key female players in painting history, inspired by Linda Nochlin's 1971 essay 'Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?' The book explores the work of 300 artists born in 60 countries from the 16th to 21st centuries, featuring Vanessa Bell, Etel Adnan, Rana Begum, Cecily Brown, Judy Chicago, Elaine de Kooning, Genieve Figgis, Katharina Grosse, Carmen Herrera, Luchita Hurtado, Shirazeh Houshiary, and Julie Mehretu.
"Art Monsters: Unruly Bodies in Feminist Art, by Lauren Elkin, focuses on the ways in which feminist artists rail against the patriarchy by redefining the female aesthetic."
"Mirror Mirror, by Michael Petry, delves into the role of the reflective surface in contemporary art."
"The Book of Colour Concepts, by Sarah Lowengard, is a sweeping volume that traces the human history of color, from cave paintings to the digital age."

This comprehensive collection of books not only delves into the realm of art history but also extends into the realms of fashion-and-beauty, lifestyle, and entertainment. For instance, 'Designing Terry Pratchett’s Discworld (2024)' EXPLores the intersection of art and popular culture through the visual creation behind the Discworld series (3). Similarly, 'The Gourmand's Egg' celebrates the relationship between art and culinary traditions, highlighting the full spectrum of egg potential (10). Lastly, 'Art Monsters: Unruly Bodies in Feminist Art' showcases the influence of art on societal issues, discussing feminist art movements and their impact on culture (18). Thus, these books offer a holistic understanding of art's wide-ranging influence, transcending artistic boundaries and intertwining with various aspects of contemporary life.