David Hockney is possibly the world’s most popular living painter, but he is also something else: an incisive and original thinker on art.

This now classic book details the fruits of his lifelong meditations on the problems and paradoxes of representing a three-dimensional world on a flat surface. How does drawing make one "see things clearer, and clearer, and clearer still," as Hockney suggests? What significance do different media—from a Lascaux cave wall to an iPad—have for the way we see? What is the relationship between the images we make and the reality around us? How have changes in technology affected the way artists depict the world?

The conversations in this volume with writer and art critic Martin Gayford are punctuated by wise and witty observations from both parties on numerous other artists—Van Gogh or Vermeer, Caravaggio, Monet, Picasso—and enlivened by shrewd insights into the contrasting social and physical landscapes of California, where Hockney lived for many years, and Yorkshire, his birthplace. Some of the people he has encountered along the way—from Henri Cartier-Bresson to Billy Wilder—also make entertaining appearances in the dialogue.

In pursuit of both knowledge and delight, the craft of botanical illustration has always required not only meticulous draftsmanship but also a rigorous scientific understanding. This new edition of a TASCHEN classic celebrates the botanical tradition and talents with a selection of outstanding works from the National Library of Vienna, including many new images.

From Byzantine manuscripts right through to 19th-century masterpieces, through peonies, callas, and chrysanthemums, these exquisite reproductions dazzle in their accuracy and their aesthetics. Whether in gently furled leaves, precisely textured fruits, or the sheer beauty and variety of colors, we celebrate an art form as tender as it is precise, and ever more resonant amid our growing awareness of our ecological surroundings and the preciousness of natural flora.

Join man’s best friend on a walk through art history.

From ancient Egyptian busts to 1960s screenprints, portraiture is an historic art form beloved of painters, sculptors and photographers alike. A History of Portraits in 21 Dogs offers a fun, unique guide to this fascinating genre, with 21 of the most important and recognizable masterpieces recreated with dashing dog subjects. Each reimagined artwork is accompanied by information about the original artist and portrait, as well as a bitesize, illustrated breakdown of all the key elements of the piece.

Perfect for dog lovers and art fans everywhere, A History of Portraits in 21 Dogs is illustrated by art-lover and animal enthusiast Nia Gould and makes an imaginative companion to feline favourite A History of Art in 21 Cats.

While it is considered by many artists to be a pure and simplistic form of expression, abstract art is also often thought of as vague or exceedingly theoretical. This installment in the Art Essentials series demystifies the concept and history of abstraction, taking the reader on a journey that spans the globe and examines the pioneering artists of the last century who advanced abstraction with their work and changed in the process.

Weaving together narratives of familiar artists with fascinating accounts of lesser-known figures, author Stephanie Straine follows the history of abstraction from its multifaceted beginnings in Europe through its appearance and transformation during global constructivist, abstract expressionist, and minimalist movements. This book showcases a diverse spectrum of global artists and provides insight into abstraction in the digital age, analyzing historical debates about the abstract through the works of contemporary artists such as Julie Mehretu, El Anatsui, and Rana Begum.

With her lively and illuminating discussion, Straine offers a much-needed, straightforward introduction to abstraction and reveals the wide range of philosophical, political, and visual theories that have shaped this essential art form.