The Four Best Art Books to Enjoy This July

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Vincent’s Books: Van Gogh and the Writers Who Inspired Him

Mariella Guzzoni (Thames & Hudson, £19.95)

Vincent van Gogh, French Novels and Roses in a Glass (‘Romans parisiens’), Paris, October–November 1887 Photo credit: Private collection

‘I have a more or less irresistible passion for books,’ so said the great painter Vincent van Gogh. Mariella Guzzoni employs extensive research in her quest to unearth the literature that influenced not only his art, but every aspect of his life—from works of fiction to museum guides and artistic magazines. Accompanied by reproductions of his paintings, letters and the books that that he loved, it is a fascinating study of Van Gogh’s creative inspiration. 

An Elephant in Rome: Bernini, the Pope, and the Making of the Eternal City

Loyd Grossman (Pallas Athene, £19.95)

An incredible monument consisting of an elephant carrying an obelisk serves as the starting point for an investigation of the powerful artistic double act that was Pope Alexander VII and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Arts Society President Loyd Grossman weaves together art, history and power to shed light on how the pair created the ultimate vision of Baroque Rome, infusing the city with unprecedented beauty and grandeur. 

Yoshimoto Nara

Yeewan Koon (Phaidon, £79.95)

Born in 1959, in a traditional Japanese castle town, Yoshitomo Nara has gone on to become an art world sensation. Over the past 30 years his following has become something of a cult, with the artist known particularly for his iconic – and, for many, instantly recognisable – images of ‘big-headed girls’. Now comes this definitive monograph on the artist, made in close collaboration with him, and authored by Yeewan Koon, associate professor in the Department of Fine Arts at the University of Hong Kong. Over five chapters Koon examines the key themes in Nara’s fascinating, broad practice. There is the punk and classic rock music that has been a core influence; his collaborative projects with other artists and musicians; his photography; and work in response to the 2011 earthquake and nuclear disaster that affected his home region. 

The Art of Advertising

Julie Anne Lambert (Bodleian Publishing, £30)

Authored by the librarian of the John Johnson Collection of Printed Ephemera at Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries, this book is filled with arresting images. It also examines how surviving paper advertisements from the 18th century to the 1930s reveal the finer details of (sometimes bizarre) products for sale – Dr Henry’s ‘Chemical Nervous Medicine’ anyone? This is social history and art rolled into one.

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