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8 best new art books to read or gift in 2026

  • Writer: maxwell museums
    maxwell museums
  • 1 day ago
  • 5 min read

The new year means 2026 has exciting new art books on the horizon. If your new year’s resolution is to read more about art, then you’re in for a treat with what’s being published in the coming months.


Many of the most exciting books are related to the unusually high-number of UK blockbuster shows coming this year — London’s 2026 exhibitions are particularly stellar FYI — but there’s also many other publications coming which you should get your hands on — from extensive artist biographies, to deep dives into artistic practice.


So here’s my picks of the eight best new art books to read or gift in 2026. They can all be pre-ordered right now so you don't forget when they are released.


(Oh and you can still catch up with my previous art book recommendations from Autumn 2025 too — from a landmark Holbein biography to a beginner's guide to art.)


Happy reading!


Quick links to the best new art books in 2026:



*Purchases made through links in this article will support maxwell museums and Britain’s independent book shops at no extra cost to you. Powered by bookshop.org



Drawing: Antony Gormley by Antony Gormley


Inkblot of human figure with branching lines on white background. Text: Drawing, Antony Gormley, Thames & Hudson. Minimalist, organic feel.


Sir Antony Gormley is one of Britain's most famous living sculptors, and one of my favourite artists of all time. This upcoming book is a major insight into an important part of his practice. The beautifully illustrated publication is a comprehensive overview of Gormley’s drawings from 1980 to the present, with insightful texts from the artist himself alongside major contributors from other experts, including author Jeanette Winterson. Over 400 works are illustrated in its pages, many of which have never been seen or published before. Expect Gormley’s deeply personal insights throughout. Published by Thames & Hudson on 23 April 2026




Tracey Emin: A Second Life by Alvin Li and Maria Balshaw (editors)


Abstract art on book cover with red and pink brushstrokes on a beige background. Text reads "TRACEY EMIN A SECOND LIFE" in black.

Published to accompany the largest retrospective of Dame Tracey Emin’s career coming to Tate Modern this spring, this full-and-fierce publication broadens the Emin story seen in the show. It celebrates her raw and confessional approach as she poses profound questions on love, trauma, and autobiography. At 280-pages, the catalogue reproduces career-defining sensations — such as the Turner Prize-nominated My Bed which was a tabloid obsession in 1999 — alongside works never seen before. You can pre-order it right now in hardback and paperback. Published by Tate Publishing on 26 February 2026





Red and pink candied apples on sticks with green bows pattern on a blue background. The spine reads "Andy Warhol The Complete Textiles."

A truly landmark publication as it’s the very first to document Andy Warhol’s work in textiles and fashion in its entirety. Spanning more than three decades, the book highlights Warhol’s inventive use of printed fabrics and wearable design. From roller-printed cottons and border patterns in the 1950s, to screen-printed garments in the ’70s and ’80s, these works reveal the foundations of his Pop aesthetic. There’s over 200 illustrations and many are previously unpublished. This book is essential for Warhol admirers as we approach the centenary of his birth. Published by Prestel on 10 March 2026.







Abstract colorful painting with bold text: "The Secrets of Painting" by Lachlan Goudie. Bright reds, blues, and yellows dominate the background.

Penned by acclaimed artist and BBC broadcaster Lachlan Goudie, this fascinating new book explores how twenty of the greatest paintings in human history were first created — from a blank surface to the finishing brushstroke. These range from masterpieces on canvas such as Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait (soon to be at the heart of a major Van Eyck exhibition at the National Gallery), to the 36,000-year-old cave paintings at Chauvet, and the frescoes inside Italy’s stunning 14th-century Arena Chapel. Readers will learn how these twenty ‘creative big bangs’ reverberated across generations and continents, helping to transform the story of art itself. Published by Thames & Hudson on 02 April 2026.





Lucian Freud: Drawing into Painting by Sarah Howgate (editor)


Portrait of a thoughtful woman with blonde hair resting her head on her hand. The cover text reads "Lucian Freud: Drawing into Painting."

A huge 224-page book accompanies the National Portrait Gallery’s exhibition exploring the drawings of the great Lucian Freud. This catalogue traces the unconventional path from his drawing practice to his painting, and back again. It features conversations with David Dawson, Freud’s close friend and assistant, and Bella Freud, the artist’s daughter. There’s also insightful essays by writer and curator Catherine Lampert, British Museum drawings curator Isabel Seligman, and acclaimed novelist Colm Tóibín, who all further illuminate Freud’s world and legacy. Published by National Portrait Gallery Publications on 12 February 2026




Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art by Lydia Caston and Sonnet Stanfill (editors)


Model on runway in sheer black Schiaparelli dress with large yellow bow, under spotlight. Audience watches in dimly lit room. Elegant, poised mood.

The latest V&A blockbuster fashion exhibition is an exploration of the groundbreaking designs of French fashion house Schiaparelli and it’s Italian founder Elsa Schiaparelli. The accompanying book is equally blockbuster — a 256-page, lavishly-illustrated catalogue that explores the origins and legacy of one of fashion's greatest innovators. It will feature images of all the items on display in the exhibition, including the latest designs by the company’s current creative director Daniel Roseberry. The book is the accessory every fashion lover needs. Published by V&A Publishing on 19 March 2026.




Anni Albers: A Life by Nicholas Fox Weber


Book cover of "Anni Albers: A Life" by Nicholas Fox Weber features a sepia portrait of a woman with a textured gold weave pattern.

Anni Albers was a pioneer of twentieth-century modernism and is known for her textile designs (she enjoyed further resurgence thanks to a well-received 2018 retrospective at Tate Modern). This is the first major biography on her life and work, and it draws on personal conversations with Albers from the 1970s up until her death in 1994. Unprecedented archival research has shaped it too. A major strand is exploring her complex relationship with her world-renowned husband, Josef Albers. At 408 pages, this is a definitive telling of the story of the groundbreaking modern artist. Published by Yale University Press on 23 June 2026


🔗 Pre-order Anni Albers: A Life



Colour by Francesca Herrick


Book with a yellow spine titled "COLOUR" and "The National Gallery." Cover shows an impressionist-style blend of blues, greens, and warm hues.

This book might be small, but it’s perfectly formed — and it will open your eyes to the evocative power of colour in art. Part of a new series of bite-sized but exquisite thematic hardbacks from the National Gallery launching this summer, this publication tells the story of colour from dazzling gold to cobalt blue, highlighting developments such as the use of rare pigments in medieval altarpieces and the invention of the paint tube that enabled Impressionists to work outdoors. Published by the National Gallery Group on 02 June 2026




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