Weatherbeaten by Thomas Denenberg (Yale Univesity Press; $37.50). A fascinating exploration of Winslow Homer’s life and work in coastal Maine, where he painted his most celebrated and emotionally powerful paintings. A collection of scholarly essays explains why this artist’s work and life resonates with lovers of the sea today.
Van Eyck in Detail by Maximillian Martens and Annick Born (Abrams, $65). This early artist’s obsessive eye for detail illuminates this volume, focusing on such aspects of daily life as nature, textiles, mirrors, glass and jewelry. His work is illuminated in this volume by two experts in the field of Flemish art.
Power and Style: A World History of Politics and Dress by Dominque Gaulme and Francois Gaulme (Flammarion, $75). This book amply illustrates how clothes make the man, and how they, in every culture, convey power and status, how feathers and ochre, medals and hats, all contribute to how the world views the wearer.
Albrecht Durer: Master Drawings, Watercolors, and Prints from the Albertina by Andrew Robison, Klaus Albrecht Schroder, et al.(DelMonico Books, $75). This volume explores the work of the great naturalist in the museum with the largest collection of his work. It conveys the artist’s fascination with the world around him and the meticulous ways in which he detailed it.
Edwardian Opulence: by Angus Trumble (Yale University Press; $75). With nearly 400 color and black-and-white illustrations, this stunning book investigates the distinctive architecture, interior decor, fashion, and fine arts created during the relatively brief but complex period between the death of Queen Victoria and the First World War. A rich collection of scholarly essays illuminates a little-understood period in British life.
The Unfinished Painting by Nico van Hout (Abrams, $65). Each of the paintings in this book poses tantalizing question: Why was this painting not completed? The book spotlights works by Van Eyck, Da Vinci, Manet, Cezanne, Matisse and many others, exploring the reasons the work was incomplete or abandoned.
Salvador Dali: The Making of an Artist by Catherine Grenier (Flammarion: $75). This incisive book reveals the complex man behind the mustache, exploring his important role as one of the fathers of Surrealism, and in the evolution of 20th century art. Grenier’s book examines his work, his muses, his influences—and the many contemporary artists who have been inspired by his work.
The Green Florelegium by Hanna Kolind Poulsen (Prestel: $150). If you only own one book of botanical illustration, this should be it. An exquisite exploration of the natural world, attributed to the German painter Hans Simon Holtzbecker, it is filled with some of the most gorgeous botanical illustrations ever created. Each flower is accompanied by basic information about it and each of the 400 illustrations is a joy to behold.
Painting and Photography 1839-1914 by Dominique de al Font-Reaulx (Flammerion, $75) This book is a scholarly examination of the new art form of photography and how it intersected with existing art forms at the beginning of the photographic era. It examines the many ways in which both art forms influenced and impacted each other in nudes, portraits, nature studies and landscapes during the 19th century and into the twentieth..
Impressionists on the Water by Phillip Dennis Cate, Daniel Charles and Christopher Lloyd (Skira Rizzoli, $50). This lovely collection traces the history of water scenes filled with light that were so popular among the Impressionists, many of whom were sailors and yachtsmen themselves.
How to Read Contemporary Art: Experiencing the Art of the 21st Century, by Michael I. Wilsom. (Amazon Paperback $23.97. “How to Read Contemporary Art” provides a thoughtful and accessible key to understanding the everchanging face of art practice at the beginning of the 21st century. Organized alphabetically by artist, it describes each artists use of media and symbolism in reference to their key pieces, and provides useful biographical information
Rubens: A Master in the Making (National Gallery London Publications) [Hardcover] by David Jaffe and Elizabeth McGrath $346.08
Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) was a prodigious artist whose works were prized by the rulers of the royal courts across Europe. He was also an international diplomat, shrewd businessman, linguist, and intellectual. This extraordinary book traces the fascinating flowering and early evolution of his genius.