Museum Publications
The Publishing Department of the Philadelphia Museum of Art develops, produces, and publishes the Museum's books, handbooks, and collection and exhibition catalogues, as well as the Bulletin, an occasional scholarly publication. The department collaborates with other institutions on joint exhibition publications, and arranges for the distribution and co-publication of its titles in the trade in the United States and abroad.
Recent Reviews
An exhibition catalogue “for the ages.”—Roberta Smith, New York Times '09 Holiday Gift Guide
“As absorbing to read as a whodunit. I wolfed it down, transfixed, in a night and a day.
”—Holland Cotter, New York Times
“An exhaustive account . . [and] a terrific read.
”—Holland Cotter, New York Times '09 Holiday Gift Guide
“Phenomenal catalog.”—Roberta Smith, New York Times
“This compilation of essays ... goes past fascinating.
”—Journal of Surrealism and the Americas
“A volume to be savoured in word and image.”— The Art Book
Winner, 2008 Art Book Award from the UK-based Art Book and Association of Art Historians
Winner, 2008 Art Book Award from the UK-based Art Book and Association of Art Historians
Winner, honorable mention, educational materials, 2009 AAM Museum Publications Design Competition
New Releases
Arshile Gorky (c. 1904—1948) was one of the central figures in American art's shift toward abstraction during the first half of the 20th century. Accompanying the first major retrospective of his work in almost thirty years, this stunning book traces the evolution of Gorky's arresting visual style.
Published to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the original installation of Étant donnés and to accompany the first major exhibition on the work and its studies, this richly illustrated book presents a wealth of new research and documents that draw upon previously unpublished works of art, photographs, and other materials.
Manual of Instructions: Étant donnés: 1° la chute d'eau, 2° le gaz d'éclairage . . . Revised edition
Out of print for a number of years, this facsimile of Marcel Duchamp's Manual of Instructions was prepared by the artist for the disassembly of Étant donnés in his New York studio and its reassembly at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. First published more than twenty years ago, the manual has had far-reaching ramifications for the study of Étant donnés and Duchamp.
In 1990 archaeologist Charles K. Williams II began seriously to acquire paintings, sculptures, watercolors, and drawings, amassing an important collection that includes examples by most of the major American artists and movements of the early 20th century.
This book offers a close look at Bruce Nauman’s work as the unanimously-selected U.S. representative at the 53rd Venice Biennale. The exhibition, on view in Venice through November 22, 2009, has been awarded the prestigious Golden Lion for the Best National Participation.
