The 10 Best Art Books You Need To Read Right Now

Curious about art but don’t know where to start? (Yes, I know. I rhymed ).

Other than a membership to Seen- books are truly the best resource for diving deep into the art world, whether you’re an artist, collector, or just an enthusiast.

They’re filled with the insights and experiences of those who’ve lived and breathed this world. So here’s a list of books I currently have on the go (and yes I do read multiple books at once. Blame that English Lit degree!). Some of these books I’m revisiting, others are new gems. But all are helping me expand my thinking about art, collecting, and the stories behind the works.

Check them out and let’s keep learning together!

📚 Ways of Seeing by John Berger

This should surprise nobody because it's really, it's a seminal text for me, for everybody. And it's why Seen is called Seen. It's a rift off "Ways of Seeing." This book breaks down the power dynamics at bay in visual culture. It's a critical reminder that seeing is never neutral, ever. And John asked us the question what we look at and why we look at it. You have to read “Ways of Seeing”. End of story.


📚 How Not to Fuck Up Your Art World Happiness

This is technically two books, but really it's one book. How Not to Fuck Up Your Art World Happiness is a letter to people mostly in the art world. A reminder that we all got

into this industry with the best of intentions. No one wants the shine to go away and it's a kind of a reminder of how to get that shine back if you've been in the world for a long while. You know, just have a sense of humor. It’s just been reprinted by Christoph Noe, who is actually the founder of Larry’s List. It will keep you sane!

📚 How to Collect Art by Magnus Resch

I wanted to hate this book because I thought it was going to be all about like the financialization of the art market and it's really not. In fact, beyond the like demystifying of how to buy art and the logistics, Magnus, the writer, really emphasizes that collecting isn't just about investing, it's about passion and curiosity and finding what resonates and I think it's a great place to start if you're thinking about collecting.

📚 Jack Whitten - Notes From The Woodshed

I can't stop talking about this book. I keep referencing it in conversations that I'm having or interviews with artists. “Jack Whitton - Notes from The Woodshed”, it's 517 pages of brilliance and fundamentally exploring how art is a compass to the cosmos and I know that sounds fishy but I'm telling you this book is fabulous.

📚 The Other Side: A Journey into Women, Art and the Spirit World by Jennifer Higgie

Jennifer’s amazing book, “The Other Side”, flips the art historical script and looks at female artists and their encounters with the supernatural. It really looks that like overlooked stories of women who dared. It's sharp, it's incisive, it's beautifully written, and I'm a huge fan of it.

📚 The Artist’s Estate: A Handbook for Artists, Executors, and Heirs


The Artist’s Estate is a hard one to read because it's not sexy or fun and there are no pictures. It delves into the complexities of preserving an artist's career long after they die and it's important for anyone that works in the art world or it's an artist to read this because it's insightful, it's meticulous, and it's crucial because how our artist's legacy is preserved if we don't do the work while they're alive.

📚 Queer Art: From Canvas to Club, and the Spaces Between by Gemma Rolls-Bentley

This isn't just a celebration of LGBTQ + artists, it's really a look at how those artists have changed art history or contemporary art. It's as much a manifesto as it is a championing of art that refuses to conform. Fabulous, fabulous art history.

📚 Contemplations of a Collector: Irini Pari in Conversation with Dimitris Daskalopoulos 


I did not know these collectors, Dimistris and Irini. This book, gorgeous. The layout is fabulous, and it's a conversation between these two people who are partners. And it's a dialogue about like why they bought what they bought and what drove them to it. The whole thing is just so elegant, so elegant. Get it.

📚 Art, Annotated: Your Expert Guide to 500 of the World’s Greatest Works of Art

You can skip the art history classes if you read Art, Annotated. It's an annotated history of over 3,000 years that holds back the curtain on the artist's process, cultural moments, things you might have missed. And despite being a really big heavy coffee table book, it's actually really light and you can like dip into it and dip out of it and learn things about the raft of the Medusa that maybe you did learn when you were in grad school 20 years ago, but have forgotten.

📚 Inside The Homes Of Artists: For Art’s Sake

Okay, Inside The Homes of Artists is a giant coffee table book, but it is a beautiful one. This is the second volume in the series by Tiqui. The first book looked inside art dealers’ homes. In this new book, it is such a privilege see inside the artist's homes and the work that they choose to live with. There's 25 artists in the book and I think it speaks to the wild relationships we have when we get to live with an artwork for a period of time and how it changes and how artists incorporate art into their day to day.

No matter where you are on your art journey, books are one of the best ways to dive deeper—aside from a membership to Seen, of course. Whether you’re an artist, collector, or simply an enthusiast, these reads offer the insights and experiences of those who have truly lived the art world.

So, which ones caught your eye? Whether you’re revisiting an old favorite or discovering something new, I’d love to hear what’s on your reading list. Let’s keep expanding our thinking about art, collecting, and the stories behind the works—one page at a time!

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