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Fine Art and Photography

Art and design

Holds art history, artists' lives and writings, colour and drawing, the art market, and photography books and photo collections.

47 books on Fine Art and Photography, 1 of them tier 1, recommended by 35 people including Patrick Collison and Mohnish Pabrai.

47 books · 36 experts

Start here

  1. Lives of the ArtistsGiorgio Vasari, 1550
  2. DuveenS. N. Behrman, 1952
  3. Seven Days in the Art WorldSarah Thornton, 2008
  4. The $12 Million Stuffed SharkDon Thompson, 2008
  5. Leonardo da VinciWalter Isaacson, 2017

The best books on Fine Art and Photography 47

Lives of the ArtistsLives of the Artists
T1 Lives of the Artists
Giorgio Vasari · 1550
Vasari's lives; the origin of artistic reputation and its market
Open Library
“Vasari, Lives of the Artists”Paul Graham
Recommended byPaul Graham
DuveenDuveen
T2 Duveen
S. N. Behrman · 1952
The dealer who moved Old Masters to American money; still the model.
Open Library
Seven Days in the Art WorldSeven Days in the Art World
T2 Seven Days in the Art World
Sarah Thornton · 2008
Ethnography of auctions, fairs and studios.
Open Library
The $12 Million Stuffed SharkThe $12 Million Stuffed Shark
T2 The $12 Million Stuffed Shark
Don Thompson · 2008
An economist on how contemporary art prices are actually set.
Open Library
Recommended byTim FerrissDiana KimballVinod Khosla
Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da Vinci
T2 Leonardo da Vinci
Walter Isaacson · 2017
Open Library
“Musk recommended Isaacson's Da Vinci biography when it came out, noting that Da Vinci's notebooks — which moved between anatomy, optics, engineering, and painting without treating them as separate disciplines — model the kind of cross-domain thinking he tries to cultivate at his companies.”Elon Musk
Recommended byBill GatesAusten AllredDaniel PetreElon MuskJohn HendersonMichael BloombergSahil BloomSatya Nadella+2 more
The Value of Art
T3 The Value of Art
Michael Findlay · 2012
A dealer separating commercial, social and intrinsic value.
Open Library
The Supermodel and the Brillo BoxThe Supermodel and the Brillo Box
T3 The Supermodel and the Brillo Box
Don Thompson · 2014
Sequel with more on auction guarantees and price formation.
Open Library
BoomBoom
T3 Boom
Michael Shnayerson · 2019
The rise of the mega-galleries and the contemporary market.
Open Library
The Art Science and Craft of Great LandscapeThe Art Science and Craft of Great Landscape Photography
T4 The Art Science and Craft of Great Landscape Photography
Glenn Randall · 1920
Open Library
Recommended byNat Eliason
The Art SpiritThe Art Spirit
T4 The Art Spirit
Robert Henri · 1930
Open Library
Recommended byJack DorseyRon Conway
The Secret Life of Salvador DalíThe Secret Life of Salvador Dalí
T4 The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí · 1942
Open Library
Recommended byNaval Ravikant
CivilisationCivilisation
T4 Civilisation
Kenneth Clark · 1969
Open Library
“Here are the most exciting ones I can think of: Clark, Civilisation”Paul Graham
Recommended byPaul Graham
Theory of ColoursTheory of Colours
T4 Theory of Colours
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe · 1970
Open Library
Recommended byEd Cooke
Painting and Experience in Fifteenth-CenturyPainting and Experience in Fifteenth-Century Italy
T4 Painting and Experience in Fifteenth-Century Italy
Michael Baxandall · 1972
Open Library
Recommended byPaul Graham
Louise BourgeoisLouise Bourgeois
T4 Louise Bourgeois
Louise Bourgeois, Lawrence Rinder · 1981
Open Library
Recommended byCaterina Fake
Drawing on the Right Side of the BrainDrawing on the Right Side of the Brain
T4 Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
Betty Edwards · 1982
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick CollisonRan SegallAdam Robinson
Mountain LightMountain Light
T4 Mountain Light
Galen Rowell · 1986
Open Library
Recommended byAdam Gazzaley
Jackson PollockJackson Pollock
T4 Jackson Pollock
Ellen G. Landau · 1989
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Central Park: A Photographic ExcursionCentral Park: A Photographic Excursion
T4 Central Park: A Photographic Excursion
James Freund · 2001
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
A Magic Web
T4 A Magic Web
Christian Ziegler · 2002
Open Library
Recommended byRay Dalio
The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, ScThe Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects
T4 The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects
Giorgio Vasari · 2005
Open Library
Recommended byRyan Holiday
The Past From AboveThe Past From Above
T4 The Past From Above
Charlotte Trumpler · 2005
Open Library
Recommended byStewart Brand
On UglinessOn Ugliness
T4 On Ugliness
Umberto Eco, Alastair McEwen · 2007
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick Collison
The Photographer's EyeThe Photographer's Eye
T4 The Photographer's Eye
Michael Freeman · 2007
Open Library
Recommended byNat Eliason
Fragile: The Human Condition
T4 Fragile: The Human Condition
Howard G. Buffett, Shakira Mebarak · 2009
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Museum LegsMuseum Legs
T4 Museum Legs
Amy Whitaker · 2009
Open Library
Recommended byJohn Maeda
Rogues' Gallery
T4 Rogues' Gallery
Michael Gross · 2009
Money and power inside the Metropolitan Museum.
Open Library
A History of the World in 100 ObjectsA History of the World in 100 Objects
T4 A History of the World in 100 Objects
Neil MacGregor · 2010
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish PabraiStewart Brand
​Van Gogh​Van Gogh
T4 ​Van Gogh
Steven Naifeh · 2011
Open Library
Recommended byDavid Kadavy
Extraordinary Everyday PhotographyExtraordinary Everyday Photography
T4 Extraordinary Everyday Photography
Brenda Tharp, Jed Manwaring · 2012
Open Library
Recommended byNat Eliason
Michelangelo: His Epic LifeMichelangelo: His Epic Life
T4 Michelangelo: His Epic Life
Martin Gayford · 2013
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
The Social PhotoThe Social Photo
T4 The Social Photo
Nathan Jurgenson · 2019
Open Library
Recommended byEvan Spiegel
A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005
T4 A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005
unverified
Recommended byPatrick Collison
Arctica
T4 Arctica
Sebastian Copeland
unverified
Recommended byRichard Branson
Art & Place
T4 Art & Place
Phaidon
unverified
Recommended byYves Béhar
Backstage Cirque du Soleil
T4 Backstage Cirque du Soleil
Veronique Vial
unverified
Recommended byTim Ferriss
Grand Design: The Earth from AboveGrand Design: The Earth from Above
T4 Grand Design: The Earth from Above
Georg Gerster
unverified
Recommended byStewart Brand
Inside the Painter's Studio
T4 Inside the Painter's Studio
unverified
Recommended byPatrick Collison
John Severson's Surf
T4 John Severson's Surf
John Severson
unverified
Recommended byYves Béhar
Kenneth Clark's Civilisation: A Personal Vie
T4 Kenneth Clark's Civilisation: A Personal View
unverified
Recommended byPatrick Collison
Necker: A Virgin Island
T4 Necker: A Virgin Island
Russell James
unverified
Recommended byRichard Branson
PhotographyPhotography
T4 Photography
unverified
Recommended byPatrick Collison
San Juan Then and Now
T4 San Juan Then and Now
Oscar Hernandez
unverified
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
The AmericansThe Americans
T4 The Americans
Robert Frank
Open Library
Recommended byYves Béhar
The Move beyond Form: Creative Undoing in Li
T4 The Move beyond Form: Creative Undoing in Literature and the Arts since 1960
unverified
Recommended byPatrick Collison
The Nude: A Study in Ideal FormThe Nude: A Study in Ideal Form
T4 The Nude: A Study in Ideal Form
unverified
Recommended byPatrick Collison
The Unsplash Book
T4 The Unsplash Book
Unsplash
unverified
Recommended byJames AllworthPaul Jarvis

Experts 36

The people who wrote this page's books, and the people who recommend them.

Authors 1

Walter Isaacsonwrote 1 book here

Recommenders 35

Patrick Collisonrecommends 8 books here
MP
Mohnish Pabrairecommends 6 books herePaul Grahamrecommends 3 books here
NE
Nat Eliasonrecommends 3 books hereStewart Brandrecommends 3 books hereYves Béharrecommends 3 books hereRichard Bransonrecommends 2 books hereTim Ferrissrecommends 2 books hereRay Daliorecommends 1 book hereRyan Holidayrecommends 1 book hereAdam Gazzaleyrecommends 1 book here
AR
Adam Robinsonrecommends 1 book here
Show all 35
AA
Austen Allredrecommends 1 book hereBill Gatesrecommends 1 book hereCaterina Fakerecommends 1 book here
DP
Daniel Petrerecommends 1 book here
DK
David Kadavyrecommends 1 book here
DK
Diana Kimballrecommends 1 book here
EC
Ed Cookerecommends 1 book hereElon Muskrecommends 1 book hereEvan Spiegelrecommends 1 book hereJack Dorseyrecommends 1 book here
JA
James Allworthrecommends 1 book here
JH
John Hendersonrecommends 1 book hereJohn Maedarecommends 1 book hereMichael Bloombergrecommends 1 book hereNaval Ravikantrecommends 1 book here
PJ
Paul Jarvisrecommends 1 book here
RS
Ran Segallrecommends 1 book hereRon Conwayrecommends 1 book here
SB
Sahil Bloomrecommends 1 book hereSatya Nadellarecommends 1 book here
SB
Sophie Bakalarrecommends 1 book here
RW
The Rational Walkrecommends 1 book hereVinod Khoslarecommends 1 book here
See all 36 in the Experts tab →

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