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Our art books

Every Thursday, ArtoftheDay weekly reviews an art book recently published in French. All subjects are covered, whether it is primitive arts or design or even the most contemporary works.

The books we present are not necessarily best sellers or beautiful coffee table objects. Our critics may sometimes be scathing in their comments and if need be will point out any flaw or deficiency. But they only review works which by their originality, novelty and seriousness deserve your attention. Of course this small list is far from being exhaustive.

We do not sell books… In fact, some of the ones we mention are already out of print and only available in second hand copies. But if one of these books should tempt you, we provide whenever possible, a link to an online bookshop that has indicated they can supply it, new or second hand.

And if you are loooking for other art books, go to our Art Shop, where our partners offer every French language art book, new or second hand, presently available.

Here are the books reviewed for you during the last weeks

	Mathurin Méheut et le Japon Elisabeth, Hélène and Patrick Jude Elisabeth and Hélène left to Japan in March 2003. Their travel notes– stories about the luggage, planes, hotels, appointments they were late at – are hardly what we would call breathtaking. The rest is a lot more for the two women went on their great grand-father’s footsteps, painter Mathurin Méheut (1882-1958), who spent various months there in 1914. He left [...] Read
	Petites histoires de l’histoire de l’art Jean-Jacques Breton Though we have regretted for a long time the lack of history of art classes in secondary school in France (contrary to Italy for example), the recurring question is how can we create an interest in a distrustful public with very little knowledge? Most probably by using light and very amusing boooks that could be used as an initiation. This short anthology of anecdotes [...] Read
	EXHIBITION CATALOGUES Portraits, collections du Centre Pompidou Collective Alain Seban, president of the Centre Pompidou, recently announced his wish to lead a “brand policy” to contribute to the institution’s financing. The exhibition at the Fondation Pierre Gianadda, until 24 June 2012, of a selection of portraits illustrates this intention. The growing number of temporary exhibits of museum collections (the Hermitage at the Prado, [...] Read
	HERITAGE Curiosités de Paris Dominique Lesbros There is such poetry in the old gaslamp and the tire protector! Such charm in enameled plates and brass knockers! For once, ignore the descriptions about Notre-Dame and the Invalides: this guide offers to make us discover or re-discover the "minute treasures" of the city of Paris, those that neither the tourists nor the residents notice anymore. Twenty-seven [...] Read

And the list, organised by subjects, of all those we have reviewed since March 2006

Mathurin Méheut et le Japon - Elisabeth, Hélène and Patrick Jude

Petites histoires de l’histoire de l’art - Jean-Jacques Breton

Americas

Visions de l’Ouest: photographies de l’exploration américaine, 1860-1880 - Collective work Exhibition catalogue

Ancient art

Archeology

Architecture, Town planning

Art and children

Art market

Arts and crafts

Asia

Contemporary art

Cultural policies

Decorative arts

Design

Drawings

Essays on art

Exhibition catalogues

Gardens, landscape

Graphic art

Heritage

History of art

Litterature

Middle East

Ebru, reflets de la diversité culturelle en Turquie, - Photographs by Attila Durak, Collective texts

Our art books

Here are the books reviewed for you during the last weeks

Mathurin Méheut et le Japon

Elisabeth, Hélène and Patrick Jude

Petites histoires de l’histoire de l’art

Jean-Jacques Breton

Portraits, collections du Centre Pompidou

Collective

Curiosités de Paris

Dominique Lesbros