The Four Books You Need to Read this June

Explore contemporary landscape painting and the untold story of Faber & Faber.

Landscape Painting Now: From Pop Abstraction To New Romanticism

In an age where anxieties about our environmental future dominate headlines, portrayals of the natural world in paintings are especially relevant today – and the genre is thriving. Pioneering in taking a global approach, this book – edited by artist Todd Bradway, with contributions from leading academic arts writers – offers the first comprehensive overview of contemporary landscape painting. 

An introduction by art critic Barry Schwabsky maps out the history and development of the field, while sections on post-Pop landscapes, New Romanticism and abstracted topographies provide compelling reading. As more than 400 illustrations emphasise, the work of modern landscape painters is ambitious and nuanced – exploring and redefining the essence of the genre. 

The book features over 80 artists, from David Hockney and Mamma Andersson – a Swedish artist known for her melancholic scenes – to Peter Doig and American painter Maureen Gallace. Other artists include Alexis Rockman – whose work depicts dystopian natural environments – and Anselm Kiefer. Ideal for scholars and art lovers, this ambitious work provides an invaluable guide to this ubiquitous subject.

Published by Thames & Hudson, £39.95

Faber & Faber: The Untold Story

From Sylvia Plath to William Golding, Faber & Faber has published the best voices in fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama for 90 years. Written by Arts Society Lecturer Toby Faber – the grandson of Faber’s founder – this book provides an insight into the publishing house’s history. Highlights include TS Eliot’s rejection letter to George Orwell, memoirs from the Faber archives and iconic cover designs from famous artists.

Published by Faber, £20

The World Exists to Be Put on a Postcard: Artists’ postcards from 1960 to now 

Published to coincide with an exhibition at the British Museum (until 4 August), this book explores the use of postcards by artists such as Gilbert & George and Tacita Dean. The postcard’s format offers artists a challenge to experiment and, often, a vehicle for subversion. Written by collector Jeremy Cooper, expect to be educated in this alternative history of post-war art.

Published by Thames & Hudson and the British Museum, £19.95

Two Lives in Colour: Fred Dubery & Joanne Brogden

Artists, educators and spouses, Fred Dubery and Joanne Brogden were leading figures in art and design. Professor of Perspective at the Royal Academy Schools, Dubery was known for serene paintings of the Suffolk landscape and domestic interiors, while Brogden was a pioneering Professor of Fashion at the Royal College of Art. Featuring some 300 of their works, this retrospective book – by arts writer Ian Collins – captures the warmth and vivacity of their lives.

Published by Unicorn Publishing Group, £25