Join art advisor Megan Fox Kelly for a special holiday episode featuring her annual selection of art books worth giving—and keeping for yourself.

This year's list includes revelatory biographies, major exhibition catalogues, and essential critical writing. From Barnett Newman's political and intellectual life before he became a painter, to Monet's restless vision traced through newly translated letters, these books illuminate artists and movements with fresh insight and rigorous scholarship.

For the first time, Megan also recommends three exceptional books for young readers—intelligent introductions to art that never talk down to children. Whether you're looking for David Hockney's guide to pictures, the Met's "What the Artist Saw" series, or a poetic history of the color blue, these are books that teach children (and adults) how to see.

To hear in-depth interviews with authors of other outstanding art books, subscribe to "Reading the Art World" on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

SHOW NOTES

Episode Timestamps:

[00:00] - Introduction

[01:05] - Barnett Newman: Here (https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691249186/barnett-newman)

[01:38] - Fail Better: Reckonings with Artists and Critics (https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262552356/fail-better/)

[02:17] - Monet: The Restless Vision (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/250416/monet-by-jackie-wullschlager/)

[02:42] - Man Ray: When Objects Dream (https://store.metmuseum.org/man-ray-when-objects-dream-80060783)

[03:24] - Turner and Constable: Art, Life, Landscape (https://yalebooks.co.uk/book/9780300266481/turner-and-constable/)

[03:55] - Sargent and Paris (https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9781588397959/sargent-and-paris/)

[04:32] - Manet and Morisot (https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300280982/manet-and-morisot/)

[05:15] - Dreamworld: Surrealism at 100 (https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780876333082/dreamworld/)

[05:55] - Henri Rousseau: A Painter's Secrets (https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300284355/henri-rousseau/)

[06:29] - Robert Longo: The Acceleration of History (https://www.hatjecantz.com/collections/new-books/products/67473-robert-longo-the-acceleration-of-history)

[07:08] - A History of Pictures for Children (https://www.abramsbooks.com/product/history-of-pictures-for-children_9781419732119/)

[07:50] - What the Artis

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For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

"Reading the Art World" is a podcast featuring live interviews with leading authors and writers on important new art books. Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden

Holiday Art Books 2025: A Gift Guide for Art Lovers