My son and I took a well-deserved trip to a local bookstore today. It was actually, quite literally a warehouse filled with used books. All books for a dollar! Who can pass that up? At that price, it was easy to find one to add to my collection. I am quite proud of the books I have accumulated over the years for my artist’s library. I’ve acquired most of them from bargain bins and auctions; uncovering each one has been like finding buried treasure!

Today’s find is Michelangelo and Raphael in the Vatican  compiled by a small group of hard-working individuals. There is detailed photography of the Sistine Chapel as well as descriptions of the artwork and what it represents. There are also stanzas from the 15th century, sharing the history from the time these paintings were created. I haven’t read much out of it yet, just quickly flipped through the breathtaking photographs. There is so much to learn and I can’t wait to see what this book has in store.

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I have another book about Michelangelo by Frederick Hartt. It has over 130 reproductions of Michelangelo’s artwork; each one is printed separately from the book and perfectly adhered to the pages. It’s a gorgeous book with gobs of information. A must have for any kind of art enthusiast.

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Another great one to have is Norman Rockwell and The Saturday Evening Post. This was a gift from my husband. It is another fantastic compilation of great works by a great artist. Every piece is accompanied with a paragraph explaining the inspiration behind each cover done for the Saturday Evening Post.

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An artist’s library isn’t complete without Van Gogh and His Art by Rosemary Treble. This book so far is the easiest for me to read for extended periods of time. It’s a biography but it reads like a story. Once you get started, you’re enticed to keep reading. So either the author is great at their job, Van Gogh had an interesting life, or both. I think I would choose the latter.

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To throw things off a bit, I also have a compilation of The Art of Todd McFarlane. He is a well-known comic book artist that is known for adding intense amounts of detail in his work. This is a solid book with a lot packed into it.

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Last but not least, we have another master, Leonardo da Vinci. An artist’s library has to have him on the list. This was a lucky grab. I got it for a steal at Border’s right before they went out of business. It was the last one and for good reason. This is one of my favorite books. I haven’t even read a fraction of this monster yet. I like leaving it open on my desk so I can read the same page over and over again. I feel like it will take me a lifetime to really absorb this 700 page beauty.

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I have many other favorites by artists Terry Moore, Claudia Nice, and National Geographic photographer, Annie Griffiths. You can never have enough books. Especially ones filled with pictures! I hope you enjoyed taking a peek into my library and hopefully there was something of interest to check out yourself.

Are there any books not mentioned that you enjoy in your library? Share a comment below! I’m always on the lookout for a good art book. Thanks for reading!

Until next time,

“Welcome to the library, young man. Don’t tell me. You’re here for a special book.”