Art Books
Curated book list organized by type. Pair these with chapters and the resources page for deeper study.
Surveys
- Janson’s History of Art — broad, image-rich survey across periods.
- Gardner’s Art Through the Ages — comprehensive overview with timelines.
- The Story of Art (E. H. Gombrich) — accessible narrative introduction.
- Art: A World History (various authors) — compact reference with key works.
Modern & Contemporary
- Art Since 1900 (Foster et al.) — essays keyed to years and movements.
- The Shock of the New (Robert Hughes) — engaging take on modernism.
- 50 Artists You Should Know — concise entries with images.
- Vitamin series (Phaidon) — focused on media (P for Painting, S for Sculpture, etc.).
Theory & Methods
- Practices of Looking (Sturken & Cartwright) — visual culture foundations.
- Ways of Seeing (John Berger) — concise, critical perspective on images.
- Visual Methodologies (Gillian Rose) — approaches to analyzing visuals.
- Critical Terms for Art History — short essays on key concepts.
Materials & Techniques
- Techniques of the Great Masters of Art — step-by-step breakdowns of historic methods.
- The Painter’s Handbook (Mark David Gottsegen) — materials and safety.
- The Sculptor’s Bible — tools and processes for 3D media.
- Digital Art (Christiane Paul) — overview of tools, history, and practice.
Reference & Atlases
- Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists — concise entries for quick lookup.
- Grove Art Online (via Oxford Art Online) — comprehensive encyclopedia (library/subscription access).
- Atlas of World Art — maps, timelines, and regional overviews.
Student-Friendly Picks
- DK Art: The Definitive Visual Guide — heavily illustrated, digestible texts.
- How to Read a Painting (Patrick de Rynck) — iconography and composition basics.
- Women, Art, and Society (Whitney Chadwick) — essential for gender perspectives.
- Looking at Pictures (Susan Woodford) — approachable analysis framework.
Tip
Use surveys to anchor chronology, then pick one focused book per movement you’re studying. Combine with high-resolution museum images (see Resources) to observe material details.