Katya’s Suggested Art Readings and Resources
Friends have asked me where they can start learning about art. I just recently started in the summer of 2019. It’s an enormous, intimidating, abstract (ha!) field – no wonder it’s not easy to understand where to begin. My deepest background in art was getting dragged to art galleries on our travels by my parents (I only remembered the air conditioning).
As it goes with parents that force you to play piano or do your math homework, you begin to appreciate their efforts years later. During my studies abroad in Milan, Italy at Universita Bocconi I was able to travel around Europe; this is when my friends were the ones dragged into the art galleries. I’ve also loved to collect prints or artworks from places I’ve travelled to around the world – everything from local artists to museum masterpiece postcards.
However, going to an art gallery and just “taking in” a painting is not interesting or exciting. It’s like watching golf if you don’t play golf. When you have context about the artist’s history (typically tragic), the political message (think Dada’s anti-politics / anti-everything), the mastery of technique (Michelangelo), which of the six women Picasso was sleeping with at that time, etc. that’s when it becomes more interesting.
Below I’ve shared some books both focused on the art markets (for my finance and business friends) as well as art history. I absolutely loved reading about art history because it wove together so many concepts: when sideways-painted people (Egyptians painting as it should be) turned into white marble nudes (Greeks creating as they see it), Surrealism arising with Freud, post-war movements with political messages, financial crises… I can go on. Think of threads, as timelines, representing art, psychology, history, economics, politics all weaving together to make a beautiful tapestry.
Art History
Arnold, D, Art History: A Very Short Introduction, 2004
Easy introduction read
Gombrich, E.H, The Story of Art, 1950
Still beautifully relevant! This book will make your brain hurt - thinking and reading about art requires different brain muscles than reading your corporate finance textbook. But you’ll feel great after your workout. I learned the most about art from this book.
HOWEVER, the MAJOR shortfall of this book is that its English and French editions do not mention any women, and its German edition cites only one… ridiculous.
Art Markets
These books really bridge the art markets (dynamics, drama, finance) and art.
Thompson, D. The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art, 2010
If you’re quite left-brained, start with this one! Reads like a Michael Lewis.
Adam, G. Big Bucks: The Explosion of the Art Market in the 21st Century, 2014
Findlay, M. The Value of Art: Money, Power, Beauty, 2014
Horowitz, N. Art of the Deal: Contemporary Art in a Global Financial Market, 2011
Hook, P, Breakfast at Sotheby’s: An A-Z of the Art World, 2013
Chong, D. Arts Management, 2010
Gerlis, M, Art as an Investment? A Survey of Comparative Assets, 2014
Third Party Research Reports
Art Basel and UBS Annual Art Market Report (My favourite)
Art Research Websites & Price Databases (Selection)
Also, follow my instagram @artwithkatya as I post books I’ve read there. I have also lists of books for movements (Cubism, Futurism, Dada, etc.) and even time periods (60s, 70s, 2000s, etc.) if you are interested in receiving those.
Always open to suggestions to add to this list! Thanks again. Most of these books are suggested by Sotheby’s Institute of Art.
Katya