Paul Holberton Publishing Ltd – serie

This groundbreaking study interrogates a rich and diverse repertoire of images from all over the world to answer the fundamental question: How are the meanings of images conveyed, recognized and accepted?Combining art history, anthropology, philosophy and linguistics, this book expands the field of traditional iconography, which explains what images mean, by introducing new, useful categories that enable us to understand how images mean (meta-iconography). In his study of iconography from a century ago, Erwin Panofsky famously discussed what an “Australian bushman” might make of Leonardo’s Last Supper: though unaware of the religious story, the Aboriginal viewer would have known it was a picture of humans eating a meal together. Paul Taylor’s book argues that this gets the question the wrong way around. We know the painting depicts people at supper only if we know it represents a supper. It is through knowing the cultural context that we can interpret the contents of an image. Universal in scope and profoundly topical at a time when artificial intelligence is redefining our visual horizon, this book represents a resource for scholars in a variety of fields and a thought-provoking read for all those interested in art.Published by Paul Holberton Publishing

This catalogue charts the evolution of the radical and distinctive style of French artist Georges Seurat through the recurring motif of the seaSeurat and the Sea is a scholarly and visually rich catalogue accompanying a landmark exhibition at The Courtauld, London, the first exhibition devoted to Seurat’s seascapes. Georges Seurat (1859–1891), known for pioneering the Neo-Impressionist technique of using small dots of pure colour, developed a luminous and atmospheric style that evolved notably through his repeated engagement with maritime themes.The book brings together paintings, oil sketches, and drawings produced during five summers spent on France’s northern coast between 1885 and 1890, in towns such as Honfleur, Port-en-Bessin, and Gravelines. These works, featuring seascapes, regattas, and harbour scenes, contrast with Seurat’s better-known Parisian imagery and reflect his desire to escape studio confines and depict the clarity of natural light.The catalogue highlights how these works deepened Seurat’s exploration of colour and form and played a vital role in expanding his influence. Drawn from global collections, the works reaffirm Seurat’s lasting artistic significance.Exhibition Schedule:The Courtauld Gallery, London(13 February–17 May 2026)Published by Paul Holberton Publishing/Distributed by Yale University Press

This exciting book provides an opportunity to discover the vital and expressive role of colour in Barbara Hepworth's sculptureBarbara Hepworth (1903–1975) is one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century, best known for her abstract sculptural forms inspired by nature and the rugged seaside landscapes of Cornwall, where she lived and worked. Accompanying a major new exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery, this ambitious catalogue is the first to explore the artist’s lifelong fascination with colour, which she used in highly original and unexpected ways. The exhibition and accompanying book will unite for the first time her early innovative sculptures with the colour of the 1940s, exploring them alongside the most important drawings from that decade, and will include major examples of her work with colour from the 1950s and 1960s.This focused, research-driven volume will comprise around 20 sculptures and 30 exceptional drawings, showing sculpture in dialogue with her painted and graphic works. It provides an exciting and unique opportunity to discover the vital and expressive role of colour in Hepworth’s sculpture, offering a fresh way of understanding one of the most remarkable artists of the 20th century.Exhibition ScheduleThe Courtauld Gallery, London12 June – 6 September 2026Published by Paul Holberton Publishing/Distributed by Yale University Press