Art at Home · Art books and catalogues
How to choose art books and catalogues by purpose
A considered guide to art books and catalogues, with 10 choices selected around purpose.
See the selections ↓
The criterion
Choose by purpose.
Start with the role art books and catalogues must play in real life. The strongest choice is not the option with the longest feature list; it is the one whose form and details make the intended use feel natural.
What to look for
- A clear match between the object’s design and the task you need it to perform.
- Useful details you will rely on repeatedly, not features that merely sound impressive.
- A form that can move easily between the situations in which you will use it.
Questions worth asking
- What must this do on an ordinary day?
- Which compromise would become irritating fastest?
- Are you choosing for your actual habits or an imagined version of them?
10 considered choices
The considered list
Each selection has a clear role. Use “Best for” to find your match, then confirm the practical details that matter to you at the maker or retailer.
122
Edward Hopper's New York
$65
- Best for
- Readers comparing art books and catalogues with a strong starting point in mind.
- Why this one
- This earns its place in the art books and catalogues edit by offering a useful balance of function, material, scale, and total cost.
- Check before buying
- Confirm dimensions, material or fibre content, care, returns, delivery cost, and current availability on the linked page.
126
50 American Artists You Should Know
$19.95
- Best for
- Readers comparing art books and catalogues with everyday usefulness in mind.
- Why this one
- This earns its place in the art books and catalogues edit by offering a useful balance of function, material, scale, and total cost.
- Check before buying
- Confirm dimensions, material or fibre content, care, returns, delivery cost, and current availability on the linked page.
2018
Artifacts: Fascinating Facts about Art, Artists, and the Art World
$24.95
- Best for
- Readers comparing art books and catalogues with a distinctive alternative in mind.
- Why this one
- This earns its place in the art books and catalogues edit by offering a useful balance of function, material, scale, and total cost.
- Check before buying
- Confirm dimensions, material or fibre content, care, returns, delivery cost, and current availability on the linked page.
1974
Basquiat
$20
- Best for
- Readers comparing art books and catalogues with a lower-priced entry in mind.
- Why this one
- This earns its place in the art books and catalogues edit by offering a useful balance of function, material, scale, and total cost.
- Check before buying
- Confirm dimensions, material or fibre content, care, returns, delivery cost, and current availability on the linked page.
1-100164
Basquiat-isms
$12.95
- Best for
- Readers comparing art books and catalogues with ease of care and support in mind.
- Why this one
- This earns its place in the art books and catalogues edit by offering a useful balance of function, material, scale, and total cost.
- Check before buying
- Confirm dimensions, material or fibre content, care, returns, delivery cost, and current availability on the linked page.
2018
Great Women Artists
$59.95
- Best for
- Readers comparing art books and catalogues with a strong starting point in mind.
- Why this one
- This earns its place in the art books and catalogues edit by offering a useful balance of function, material, scale, and total cost.
- Check before buying
- Confirm dimensions, material or fibre content, care, returns, delivery cost, and current availability on the linked page.
1706
Women Painting Women
$49.95
- Best for
- Readers comparing art books and catalogues with everyday usefulness in mind.
- Why this one
- This earns its place in the art books and catalogues edit by offering a useful balance of function, material, scale, and total cost.
- Check before buying
- Confirm dimensions, material or fibre content, care, returns, delivery cost, and current availability on the linked page.
W.W. NORTON & COMPANY
A Chronology of Art: A Timeline of Western Culture from Prehistory to the Present
$24.95
- Best for
- Readers comparing art books and catalogues with a distinctive alternative in mind.
- Why this one
- This earns its place in the art books and catalogues edit by offering a useful balance of function, material, scale, and total cost.
- Check before buying
- Confirm dimensions, material or fibre content, care, returns, delivery cost, and current availability on the linked page.
BENEDICKT TASCHEN VERLAG
Abstract Expressionism
$20
- Best for
- Readers comparing art books and catalogues with a lower-priced entry in mind.
- Why this one
- This earns its place in the art books and catalogues edit by offering a useful balance of function, material, scale, and total cost.
- Check before buying
- Confirm dimensions, material or fibre content, care, returns, delivery cost, and current availability on the linked page.
BENEDICKT TASCHEN VERLAG
Bauhaus
$80
- Best for
- Readers comparing art books and catalogues with ease of care and support in mind.
- Why this one
- This earns its place in the art books and catalogues edit by offering a useful balance of function, material, scale, and total cost.
- Check before buying
- Confirm dimensions, material or fibre content, care, returns, delivery cost, and current availability on the linked page.