Fragonard: The Perfume of Provence by Alain Stella (Flammarion) Traces the evolution of Fragonard from a family-run perfume house in Grasse to an enduring symbol of Provençal refinement and Riviera elegance. Lavishly photographed throughout, the book moves beyond fragrance to explore the maison’s broader world of decorative arts, from ornate perfume bottles and textiles to interiors, furniture, and tableware. Historical chapters illuminate the vision of founder Eugène Fuchs and the company’s deep investment in preserving regional craftsmanship and cultural heritage. More than a brand history, the book becomes a celebration of the French art de vivre, capturing a lifestyle shaped by beauty, sensuality, and meticulous design. https://www.rizzoliusa.com/

Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art by Sonnet Stanfill, Lydia Caston (Victoria & Albert Museum) Long before fashion embraced spectacle, Elsa Schiaparelli was treating couture as an artistic provocation. This richly illustrated volume explores how the designer blurred the boundaries between fashion, Surrealism, and performance, collaborating with figures such as Man Ray, Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dalí, and Alberto Giacometti to create some of the twentieth century’s most unforgettable garments. From the famous lobster dress to her groundbreaking sportswear and theatrical costumes, Schiaparelli’s work remains startlingly modern. The book also traces her enduring influence on contemporary fashion, revealing how her playful irreverence and artistic daring continue to resonate in the collections of Maison Schiaparelli today. https://www.abramsbooks.com/

Prophecies: Omens, Auguries, Divination, Oracles, Dreams, Apocalypse by Christopher Dell (Thames & Hudson) This engrossing global survey explores humanity’s enduring desire to glimpse what lies ahead. Art historian Christopher Dell moves across continents and centuries, examining how cultures have sought meaning in dreams, omens, celestial movements, sacred texts, and prophetic visions. Egyptian oracles, Norse seers, Roman augurs, Aztec diviners, and Tibetan mystics all find a place in a narrative that is as much about human imagination as it is about belief. Richly illustrated with rare manuscripts, ritual objects, and historical imagery, the volume features 399 color illustrations and reveals prophecy as a universal language through which societies have confronted uncertainty, hope, and fear. https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/

Mosaics and Micromosaics: Art, Craft and Identities (V&A) This richly researched volume traces the remarkable evolution of mosaic from its origins in ancient Greece to its enduring role in contemporary public art. Moving across Byzantine churches, Renaissance Venice, imperial monuments, and modern commissions, it reveals how the medium has served not only decorative ends but also political, religious, and civic ambition. Essays explore pivotal moments in mosaic history, while discussions of conservation and the intricate craft of micro-mosaics bring the tradition into the present. Scholarly yet accessible, the book demonstrates that these painstaking arrangements of stone and glass have long functioned as powerful expressions of culture, memory, and identity. https://www.abramsbooks.com/

Thailand: The Monocle Handbook by Monocle Et al. (Thames & Hudson) The latest entry in Monocle’s travel handbook series approaches Thailand with the publication’s signature blend of discernment and curiosity. Moving from Bangkok’s galleries, markets, and contemporary architecture to remote islands, rainforests, and coastal retreats, the guide highlights the people and places shaping modern Thai culture. Artisans, tailors, designers, restaurateurs, and hoteliers are given as much attention as major landmarks, creating a portrait that feels both practical and deeply personal. For readers considering a longer stay, there are insights into neighborhoods, interiors, and local design talent. Featuring 450 color illustrations, it is an elegant companion to one of Asia’s most captivating destinations. https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/

Vermeer’s Afterlives by Ruth Bernard Yeazell (Princeton University Press) Rather than examining Johannes Vermeer’s paintings in isolation, Ruth Bernard Yeazell follows the extraordinary afterlife of an artist who was nearly erased from history before becoming one of the world’s most revered painters. Blending art history with literary and cultural criticism, she traces Vermeer’s rediscovery, his influence on generations of artists, and the fascination his quiet interiors have inspired among novelists, poets, photographers, and even forgers. Thoughtful and elegantly written, the book reveals how masterpieces continue to evolve long after they leave the easel, shaped by the imaginations of those who encounter them across centuries. https://press.princeton.edu/

Color Unbound: Henri Matisse 1941-1954 by Claudine Grammont (Thames & Hudson) Published to accompany the landmark exhibition at the Grand Palais, this luminous catalog celebrates the astonishing creative resurgence of Henri Matisse during the final thirteen years of his life. Rather than retreating after illness, Matisse embraced new forms of expression, producing the radiant cutouts, the Chapel of the Rosary, and other late masterpieces that transformed modern art. Full-page reproductions are complemented by rarely seen photographs of his studio, revealing the intimate relationship between the artist and his surroundings. Featuring 300 color illustrations, the volume offers a moving portrait of creativity flourishing in defiance of physical decline. https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/

Walker Evans by David Campany (Thames & Hudson) This thoughtful reassessment presents Walker Evans as far more than the chronicler of Depression-era America. Spanning five decades, the volume follows his evolution from early street photographs to late Polaroid experiments, revealing an artist whose influence reaches well beyond documentary photography. Evans found enduring significance in storefronts, vernacular architecture, roadside signs, and ordinary lives, transforming the everyday into something quietly monumental. His work also anticipated later developments in conceptual and Pop art, challenging viewers to reconsider the relationship between image and reality. Featuring 200 color illustrations, this is a compelling portrait of a photographer whose vision remains remarkably contemporary. https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/

Kengo Kuma New Works by Kengo Kuma (Thames & Hudson) Spanning projects completed between 2012 and 2024, this handsome monograph captures Kengo Kuma at the height of his creative powers, revealing an architect deeply committed to reconnecting people, nature, and place. From Japan’s National Stadium to intimate community buildings and cultural institutions across the globe, the featured works demonstrate his extraordinary ability to transform timber, clay, and other natural materials into architecture of remarkable warmth and lightness. An insightful introductory essay places these projects within the broader evolution of his practice. Illustrated with 365 images, including 332 in color, the volume is both an inspiring survey and a compelling statement of contemporary architectural thought. https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/

Sofonisba’s Lesson, New Edition: A Renaissance Artist and Her Work by Michael W. Cole (Princeton University Press) Michael Cole’s expanded study restores Sofonisba Anguissola to her rightful place among the great innovators of the Renaissance. Far more than a biography, the book examines how her career challenged assumptions about women’s education, artistic authorship, and creative ambition in sixteenth-century Europe. New scholarship revisits disputed works while illuminating Anguissola’s pioneering use of self-portraiture, family subjects, and religious themes shaped by the Catholic Reformation. Anchored by a comprehensive illustrated catalogue of more than 200 paintings and drawings attributed to her over the centuries, this definitive volume reveals an artist whose influence has only recently begun to receive the recognition it deserves. https://press.princeton.edu/

Sea of Treasures: A Cultural History of Ancient Indian Ocean Trade by Jeremy A. Simmons (Princeton University Press) Jeremy Simmons reimagines ancient Indian Ocean trade not as a story of routes and transactions, but as a history of desire, consumption, and cultural transformation. Drawing on archaeological and textual evidence from the Mediterranean and South Asia, he follows the movement of spices, gemstones, coins, artistic motifs, and ideas to reveal how imported goods reshaped everyday life and elite identity alike. Particularly compelling is his focus on the lived experience of these objects, from imitation and adornment to taste and status. Challenging familiar narratives of Roman centrality, the book presents a richly interconnected Afro-Eurasian world linked as much by fascination as by commerce. https://press.princeton.edu/