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Artists and Museums You Can Read About
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items I decided it would be great fun to read a bunch of books about art. Here are some of my favorites; a few from my childhood as well as my recent and current reads. And I have put a few of these on the map of the world! Suggest me some more. I love to ...
Map
Surely Harold was the very first book I ever read about art. I STILL love it, the possibilities, the imagination…..
Harold and the Purple Crayon
Imagine working in a museum just so you can be around art all day long. True story!
All the Beauty in the World: The Met
My sixth grade teacher read a chapter to us and I had to go right home and finish the book. Ever after I had dreams of hiding in a museum and living there, feeding myself off the coins in the fountains.
Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Funny, I never saw the clever cover as I was listening to The Goldfinch for my bookclub. I loved it! And I learned that expensive paintings are often used as collateral in illegal deals………
The Goldfinch: Pulitzer Prize Novel
Ever since reading this I have wondered what it would be like to chuck conventional life and go live on an island and pursue my art. Have you heard it said that if you want children to read, the best bet is to have books in the house. For some reason, my parents had another one by Maugham and I liked it enough that I then picked up this one.
The Moon and Sixpence Illustrated
As of March 2025, this is my current read. I never really thought about which smaller events led to the explosion of culture we now call the Renaissance. Now I know a little bit!
The Feud That Sparked the Renaissance
Where there are artists, there follow art dealers and that can be a bit of a shady business. Here's a look at the massive artworld investment scam pulled off by Inigo Philbrick after his schooling at University of London.
All That Glitters: Friendship and Fine Art
Galileo plays a role in this historical fiction about post-Renaissance painter Artemisia Gentileschi. I would not say this was a favorite among my recent reads, but I feel that I learned something about the era.
The Passion of Artemisia: A Novel
I can get inspiration when feeling a creative dip. During those times I might browse books like this one.
10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
Must admit that though this has been on my shelf for years now, I have not yet paged through! Reviews seem to say it's very good for beginners. Even though I have been drawing for years now, I am quite sure I still fit in that category. LOL!
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
A weird truth about the most famous paintings is that they are well-known for reasons unrelated to what you see on the canvas. I read this so long ago that I am not sure that aspect is discussed here. But I loved the book and it worked for me because...
The Da Vinci Code
Hosting bookclub this month? Send out reminders! This postcard has a backdrop of words, just words and words and words.
Bookclub Reminder Postcard
As a woodcut artist, I am always looking for guidance and inspiration from the greatest practitioners of the art. Dürer is the best!
Complete Woodcuts of Albrecht Dürer
Here's one I will read because a Goodreads artist friend of mine rated it so highly.
Art & Fear: Observations on Artmaking
An excellent gift for the one who wants to make art but keeps putting it off. "The real failure is to rob this world of the contribution only you can make, and to fail to make work that truly gives you that 'this is what I was created to do' feeling ...
A Beautiful Anarchy: When Life Becomes Art
An artist might find that this simple,personal, and no-nonsense book will inspire you to seize the potential of your life.
The War of Art