Richly Illustrated, “Hirshhorn Museum: The Art Handbook” Is a Portable Introduction to Modern and Contemporary Art Through Key Works in the National Collection
The Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has published Hirshhorn Museum: The Art Handbook, a vividly illustrated portable paperback guide to the permanent collection of the Hirshhorn, the national museum of modern and contemporary art.
“We are delighted to publish this welcoming book for both fans of modern art and readers new to it,” said Melissa Chiu, director of the Hirshhorn. “The book builds on research we undertook during the pandemic, which resulted in both our scholarly collection book, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden: The Collection, and this portable handbook.”
The Art Handbook offers a concise yet deeply informed overview of one of the most significant modern and contemporary art collections in the United States, as well as the artistic movements that have given rise to its compelling treasures. Through hundreds of color and black-and-white images, the handbook traces the evolution of the collection from its Modernist foundations—celebrated at the museum’s 1974 opening—to its present-day focus on the most innovative practices of the postwar and contemporary eras. Featured works include sculpture, painting, drawing, performance art, installations and new media art, drawn from traditions ranging from Impressionism to Surrealism and Dada to Abstract Expressionism to Conceptual art, alongside sidebars providing definitions of key artistic schools and ideas from the late 19th century to the present day.
Organized for browsing as well as sustained reading, the handbook features key works by such trailblazing artists as Yayoi Kusama, Henri Matisse, Joan Mitchell, Yoko Ono, Pablo Picasso, Auguste Rodin, Betye Saar, Andy Warhol and many others, alongside later figures such as Mark Bradford, Wangechi Mutu, Doris Salcedo, Hito Steyerl and Henry Taylor. Its clear definitions of major art movements and styles are accompanied by statements from artists about their own work, making the book especially accessible.
More than a collection catalog, Hirshhorn Museum: The Art Handbook functions as an armchair museum that allows readers to engage with the breadth of the Hirshhorn’s holdings whether they are preparing for a visit, reflecting afterward or encountering the collection from afar. At 216 pages with nearly 400 illustrations, this compact book is designed for portability and reflects the institution’s role as a leading voice in 21st‑century art and culture.
About the Hirshhorn
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is the national museum of modern and contemporary art and a leading voice for 21st-century art and culture. Part of the Smithsonian, the Hirshhorn is located prominently on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Its holdings encompass one of the most important collections of postwar American and European art in the world. The Hirshhorn presents diverse exhibitions and offers an array of public programs on the art of our time—free to all. The Hirshhorn Museum is open Mondays noon–5:30 p.m. and Tuesdays–Sundays 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. (except Dec. 25). For more information, visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Book Details
Hirshhorn Museum: The Art Handbook
Paperback | 6½ x 8¼ inches | 216 pages
ISBN 978‑1‑58834‑765‑7 | $24.95
Smithsonian Books
For review copies, images or additional information, contact Smithsonian Books.