Our contributors picked 20 must-reads that informed and broadened their worldviews this year.
Books
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Norman Rockwell’s Exceptional Drawings, Revealed for the First Time
Extensively illustrated, Norman Rockwell: Drawings, 1911–1976 is the first book dedicated to the artist’s prolific but largely private drawing practice.
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How to Crack the Catholic Code of the Old Masters
Suzanna Ivanič’s new book Catholica: The Visual Culture of Catholicism is an essential primer on how Catholicism intersects with art history.
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The Understated Beauty of Decorated Paper
Pattern and Flow: A Golden Age of American Decorated Paper, 1960s to 2000s is a feast for the eyes.
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Maira Kalman Considers All That Women Hold
By turns whimsical and poignant, Kalman’s Women Holding Things combines two of her most consistent subjects: women and beloved objects.
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In Praise of the Exhibition Catalogue
Shary Boyle’s Outside the Palace of Me exhibition catalogue provides viewers with experiences that an in-person visit cannot.
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Demolishing the Categories of Word and Image
An anthology of poems, fiction, and translated essays combined with images explores the role of memory and the visual.
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A Fresh Look at Flowers in Photography
Can photographers capture the vitality of flowers compellingly, innovatively, and beautifully? A new book gives a resounding yes.
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A Forgotten Modernist Finally Gets His Due
Architect Jean Welz worked in a socially engaged style that transcended individual pursuits for glory.
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How One Woman Built a Famous Male Architect’s Legacy
Eva Hagberg’s new book sheds light on the relationship between critic and publicist Aline Louchheim and architect Eero Saarinen.
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A Decade Among the Mennonites
Larry Towell’s images reveal a little-seen, isolated world and raise questions about the unforgiving impact of tradition on families.
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A History of Houston’s Creative Terrain
Impractical Spaces: Houston resurrects the stories of the city’s artist-run venues since 1947.