Andrew Graham-Dixon's Top Book Recommendations

Andrew Graham-DixonThese are the writings of a painter who was so bad at art, and yet was one of the greatest prose writers of the nineteenth century. It’s brilliantly observed and coruscating fantastic prose. The diaries are not as well-known as they should be, but they’re right up there with the letters of Byron. (Source)

Andrew Graham-DixonThis is a brilliant piece of social history and a daughter’s expression of love for her father even though it was a complicated love. I think it’s a very memorable portrait of a particular painter. (Source)

Andrew Graham-DixonIt’s one of the very few works I’ve ever read about Turner or Constable that addresses the real issues of their work. (Source)

Andrew Graham-DixonIt was very very hard to find a book that connected art with society in the way that Clark connected the art of the nineteenth century to the society in which it was produced. (Source)

Fred InglisThe second stage of my history of celebrity focuses on Paris at this time. A new kind of phenomenon is beginning to declare itself, which is the process whereby the fashion industry becomes industrialised and the whole novel notion of glamour attaches itself to people who are known and recognised. T J Clark wrote his wonderful book to study how the great painters of the day, people like Manet,... (Source)

Andrew Graham-DixonLawrence puts this book together really beautifully. It’s the best thing ever written that I’ve ever read about art. (Source)