To have a good understanding of painting, you do not need to spend days in the gallery. All the most interesting and useful things about artists can be found in books. Biographies of great masters, reproductions of their masterpieces, and unknown author’s sketches – we have collected a list of the most interesting and beautiful books about fine arts.
Art: The Definitive Visual Guide
Andrew Graham-Dixon
This monumental book is a visual guide to more than 2500 famous paintings and sculptures. Thanks to it, you will learn how to look at the works of great masters. Also, the book will tell you more about the key styles and techniques of drawing.
100 Painters of Tomorrow
Good news for art lovers as the field is “alive and well,” says Kurt Beers, director of Beers Contemporary. He has taken on the responsibility of finding 100 of the greatest new talents. He selected from over 4,300 applicants presented by a group of the most prestigious contemporary artists. This book is considered one of the best books on art.
Frida Kahlo: Fashion as the Art of Being
Frida Calo was not only an iconic artist but also a fashionista whose unique style continues to inspire and influence the worlds of fashion and art today. Fashion is an optical effect that Kalo used with a discerning mind and artistic design, and her original, multicultural aesthetics allowed her to be in the spotlight.
The Art of Mondo
From classic Hitchcock to Star Wars. Film lovers will appreciate this magnificent collection of Mondo cult posters with a brief history of the company and artists.
The Deftness of Da Vinci
Da Vinci could do almost anything, but most importantly, he painted very well. This book perfectly reproduces 663 of his drawings, from anatomical studies to architectural plans, most of which are in the full-page format, so you can see every detail.
The Short Story of Art by Susie Hodge
This is a pocket guide, which deals with 50 major works of art. It is the best guide for beginners because it explains the main movements, themes, and techniques.
“Photography. Between Document and Contemporary Art” by André Rouillé
The book “Photography. Between Document and Contemporary Art” is one of the main events in the field of expert literature on photography. André Rouille offers his vision of the history of photographic aesthetics, and thanks to his extensive knowledge of philosophy and art history, reading his work becomes a special intellectual pleasure. In addition, Rouille provides a comprehensive historical overview on the practice of thinking about photography as a cultural phenomenon, as a visual medium, as an art technique. André Rouille’s fundamental work can rightfully claim to be the main philosophical book about photography of the last decade.
“Breakfast at Sotheby’s. World of art from A to Z” Philip Hook
“Breakfast at Sotheby’s” Philip Hook is a witty and fascinating study of the phenomenon of 
art and its commercial value. In the center of attention of the famous English art historian, an employee of the famous auction houses “Sotheby” and “Christie”, not by hearsay familiar with the mysterious, hidden from the eyes of amateurs, the life of the art market – the secret of the popularity of individual artists and creative trends, the relationship between artists and models, the history of notorious kidnappings and forgeries. How much does it cost? Why does work become an “icon”? Which of the artists managed to create their own brand? Is it possible to avoid counterfeits? How was the “Mona Lisa” stolen? The answers to these and many other questions can be found in an interesting and entertaining book by Philip Hook.
Film Craft Book Series
The “Film Craft” series presents outstanding masters of cinema. In this book series sixteen best directors, film directors, artists, scriptwriters, cameramen and producers give master classes in their profession, talk about the films they worked on, about their film aesthetics, colleagues, associates, and the most important principles of the profession.
Books will be interesting for everyone who loves cinema, is keen on cinema art, and also for professionals for whom reflections of the most brilliant masters of modern cinematography will become an invaluable source of knowledge and inspiration.
“The rest is noise. Listening to ХХ century” Alex Ross
The fascinating and dramatic story, written by The New Yorker music critic Alex Ross, spans the entire 20th century – from Vienna before the First World War to Paris in the twenties, from Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s Russia to the New York downtown of the sixties and seventies, from Beijing today to experiment-filled Europe. Ross’ book is a virtuoso guide to a labyrinth of musical styles that will not only show the way but will also tell you about the most famous composers of the twentieth century and the connection of their works with the surrounding reality. “Next – noise” is an amazing chronicle of the twentieth century, retold with the help of music.
“Isms. Understanding Modern Art” Sam Phillips
This guide to contemporary art is intended to explain all it’s key “isms”: groups, styles and schools that define what is considered art from the end of the XIX century to the present day. The author, a British art historian, and editor of Frieze magazine, which grew out of the art fair of the same name by placing contemporary art in a historical context, creates a kind of map of the trajectories along which contemporary artistic practice has developed. With this kind of map, any reader – from an art student to a simple art lover – is able to follow his or her own routes. The list of artists, key works and museums of the world is attached.
