Von Büchern in Bildern

Artists, both historical and contemporary, have been captivated by books. From Rembrandt’s mother studying the Bible, to Edvard Munch asleep next to a brothel madam reading a book after a bacchanal, to Picasso, who was never seen holding a book, this charming little volume offers up a fascinating spectrum of paintings from all epochs and genres. They all have one thing in common: whether conspicuously in the middle, or hidden on the edge, each of these paintings features one or more books. A book in a painting is not only a bridge between literature and the visual arts, it also elucidates content, references, and relationships in the paintings, shedding light on their background and providing insight into the painter’s attitude. In this way, books and paintings have carried on an entertaining dialogue between text and image throughout the history of culture.   Jamie Camplin studied art history at Cambridge and for many years was the program director for Thames & Hudson publishers. Maria Renauro is a photo editor for the same publisher.