Concurrently with developments in art history which have challenged the simple notion of “the art book” as artist’s monograph, the library profession has been obliged to look beyond both the traditional book format and related methodologies. Art librarians have led the way in adopting new technology, not for its own sake but in response to the nature of art information and the needs of their clients; they are aware that “there is no such thing” as “the art book”, and that in reality this term embraces a plurality of formats among which the codex book continues to flourish not only as a vehicle of information but also, for example, as a medium exploited by artists. In all its manifestations, but not least in those which are novel, innovative, and unfamiliar, art information challenges art librarians to adopt a dynamic and proactive role in making it available and promoting and facilitating its use.

Architectural books in use in England – and specifically in the Royal Academy Library – in the second half of the 18th century included translations of the major Italian treatises; Sir William Chambers’ Treatise on civil architecture (the first work of its kind by an English author); volumes recording actual buildings by English architects; archaeological works documenting the remains of ancient buildings; and works by Fréart and Perrault on the classical orders. The latter were complemented by Henry Emlyn’s eccentric Proposition for a new order of architecture published in 1781. The contents of Sir John Soane’s private library included a number of works not available at the Royal Academy, which he criticised for providing only a “very limited collection of Works on Architecture”. Soane’s library can be seen to have anticipated the professional architectural library, including more practical books (intended in many cases for the use of builders and carpenters), which was founded at the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1834 — today’s British Architectural Library.

Although ‘art books’ of various kinds existed before 1800, art publishing grew significantly and with increasing speed through the 19th century. Two key factors, each encouraging the other, were the growth of interest in art among a heterogeneous public, and developments in printing technology, especially in methods of reproducing illustrations. Increasing numbers of illustrated art books contributed to the dissemination of awareness of an ever-broader spectrum of works of art, and of the decorative arts, throughout society, and nourished the historicism and eclecticism practised by contemporary artists and designers. The Romantic Movement’s cult of the individual artist prepared the way for the emergence of the artist’s monograph as a significant category of art book, made possible by the capacity to reproduce an artist’s works. The growth of art historical scholarship, informed by a new rigour, brought about the publishing of scholarly works incorporating documentary research, and of previously unpublished or newly-edited source material; art reference works, of several kinds, also multiplied. By 1900 art publishing had set all the precedents it would need until well into the second half of the 20th century.

Major contributions to the publication of art books in the 20th century have been made by publishing houses in Great Britain. These include The Studio magazine and its associated publications, founded by Charles Holme late in the 19th century, a widely influential enterprise which was eventually to become the publishing house Studio Vista. Three other ventures resulted from initiatives by European émigrés. Anton Zwemmer arrived in England and commenced his activities as bookseller and publisher in the 1920s. Bela Horovitz’s Phaidon Press, founded in Vienna in 1923, was safeguarded from the Nazis by Sir Stanley Unwin and recommenced operations under its own name, in London, in 1946. And in 1949 Thames and Hudson was founded by Walter Neurath, who had fled Nazi Germany in 1938. The activities of these publishing houses were complemented by those of Albert Skira in Switzerland, who developed the production of art books illustrated with colour plates. After the Second World War, art publishing flourished as never before, with these and other publishers contributing to an expansion of art publishing on an international front which saw the emergence of the ‘coffee table’ book and of popular art books for a wide readership, the publication of international co-editions, and the multiplication of series. However, more art books has not always meant better art books.

In comparison with architectural books, books on design have a relatively recent history, although not as recent as might be thought since many of today’s design books had antecedents in the 1930s. The publishing of design books in the 1930s followed the emergence of design as a profession; the rapid expansion of design publishing in the last two decades has been stimulated by the design boom of the 1980s, by the rise of design history as an academic discipline, and by new varieties of and issues in design such as computer graphics, design education, and “green” design. Publications from this period include some major new bibliographies and reference works, but also a good deal of transient material which will nonetheless possess some documentary or curiosity value in time to come. Writings about design by designers themselves are still in short supply.

Due to a number of factors, including lower educational standards and the pressures on publishers and booksellers to maximise profits by exploiting the mass market, the climate for publishing serious art books has become less favourable in recent years especially so far as commercial publishers are concerned. Art books are being published in greater numbers than ever before; many are of a popular and/or general nature; many too are produced specifically for the remainder market; yet these include some worthwhile books which are reaching a wide audience. The revolution in printing technology since the 1960s has facilitated large-scale mass production, but at the same time offers benefits to publishing of all kinds. While university presses are able to perform a crucial role in publishing scholarly works, there remains a need for commercial publishers to continue to publish quality art books which are accessible to the public.

Canadian publishing was inhibited from the beginning by Canada’s colonial origins and dependence on Great Britain and the USA. Few art books were published until quite recently; the relatively small, scattered population, the flooding of the market with British, American and (in Quebec) French books, and limited (at best) or non-existent sales outside Canada continue to be constraining factors. The necessity to include both English and French texts adds to the cost of book production in Canada. The publication of art books, and of exhibition catalogues, depends on the availability of government grants. Publications on the art of the North American Indian and Inuit peoples are an exception, attracting widespread interest and leading in some instances to co-publishing initiatives. In addition to the larger publishing houses, a number of small presses produce occasional art books, thanks to grants and in a few cases with the added benefit of sales abroad achieved through international networking. A government programme of support for Canadian publishing, launched in 1986, is continuing.

Art publishing in Britain flourished in the earlier part of the 20th century, thanks in no small part to the enterprise of European émigrés. However, a majority of art books published now are of a commercial and popular nature, neglecting many aspects of art and British art of this century in particular. Do the conservatism of British taste, or the ready availability of books in libraries, contribute to this situation?

Changes taking place in Italian publishing include the decline of old family firms and the amalgamating of publishing in a relatively few, large companies with interests in other fields of activity. Art publishing is largely monopolised by a small number of big publishing groups based in Milan, although some smaller firms produce art publications, generally of local interest, elsewhere, and a number of medium-sized family or specialised businesses remain active in this field. Another, perhaps unique, feature of Italian art publishing is the production of art books financed by banks and used by them for promotional purposes. Initially hard to get hold of, these publications — sometimes in the form of a second, public, edition – are becoming more available, and are now the subject of a bibliography.

Public interest in art is encouraging the publishing of art books and exhibition catalogues, although many of these publications focus on the same subjects. Some 1,200 art books are published in France each year, selling on average some 6,500 copies. Two large publishers dominate French art publishing, but many others are also involved in producing quality art books including titles which help to fill the gaps left by the big general publishers. Because production costs are all but prohibitive, and because the size of the home market is limited, some of these publishers have published books with texts in more than one language, or as co-editions with publishers in other countries.

Publishing of art books in the former Federal Republic of Germany expanded after 1945, but with an ever-widening divergence between academic and popular titles. Important scholarship, even when published in the form of inexpensive but over-elaborate catalogues, is relatively inaccessible, whereas popular art books cover the same ground over and over again and leave vast areas of art untouched.

Probably only about 5% of books published in the Netherlands are art books. There is a very limited demand for art books in the Dutch language; in order to sell in greater numbers, books have to be produced in English or in several languages, and/or as co-editions, while the domestic market is flooded by foreign imports including cheap remainders. In these circumstances the publication of art books depends on grants or on the income which some publishers earn from bookselling, printing, or other activities. Nonetheless a few, small, specialist publishers are producing art books of high quality, while some general publishers also publish the occasional art book. Museum publishing activities are considerable but are largely confined to exhibition catalogues.