15 Art Books Recommended for Summer Reading by DailyArt Magazine

DailyArt Magazine has compiled a list of 15 art-related books for summer reading, spanning fiction, non-fiction, and art theory. The selection includes classics like Oscar Wilde's 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' (1890) and contemporary works such as Donna Tartt's 'The Goldfinch' (2014), which won a Pulitzer Prize. Non-fiction titles include Alain de Botton and John Armstrong's 'Art as Therapy' (2013), John Berger's 'Ways of Seeing' (1990), and Susan Sontag's 'On Photography' (1977). Novels with art themes feature Tracy Chevalier's 'Girl With a Pearl Earring' (2001), Dan Brown's 'The Da Vinci Code' (2003), and Orhan Pamuk's 'My Name is Red' (1998). Irving Stone's 'The Agony and the Ecstasy' (1961) explores Michelangelo's life, while Ali Smith's 'How to Be Both' (2014) offers a dual-narrative structure. The list also includes Zadie Smith's 'On Beauty' (2004), Elizabeth Kostova's 'The Swan Thieves' (2010), Umberto Eco's 'History of Beauty' (2010), Jeanette Winterson's 'Art & Lies' (2014), and Margaret Atwood's 'Cat's Eye' (1988). The article emphasizes the therapeutic and educational value of art literature.