If you are looking for books on art which are considered to be the best of all time, you have come to the right place. Everyone who is interested in art knows that you can never stop learning about it and finding inspiration, so here is a list of five books which have made an enormous contribution to the world of art.

·  The Story of Art by E.H. Gombrich

A bestseller for more than 40 years sold in more than 6 million copies, this book is one of the most prominent books on art that has ever been written. It contains all the information you might need on the history of art, both ancient and modern, with 27 chapters and 440 illustrations. The Story of Art was first published in 1950, but it was redesigned, so all the illustrations are now colored, and there are many updates and revisions to include new, contemporary artists.

· Art & Fear – Observations on the Perils (and Rewarding) of Artmaking by David Bayles and Ted Orland

This book is for all artists struggling with various issues during their creative processes, such as fear of criticism or self-doubt. Both authors are artists themselves, so they give lots of valuable insights and advice. The book is written in an entertaining and candid manner, and once you have finished reading it, you immediately want to go back to the beginning one more time.

· Art Through the Ages by Helen Gardner, Fred S. Kleiner, Christin J. Mamiya

First published in 1926, this book has for decades been used as a textbook on art history. It was written by Helen Gardner, and revised in 2004 by Kleiner and Mamiya. It gives an excellent summary of art starting from the ancient period all the way to the modern era. Art Through the Ages gives a comprehensive look at the progress art has made over time, as well as an account of many historical events taking place and their influence on the way art developed.

· Ways of Seeing by John Berger

Containing seven essays, four having text and images, and three images only, Ways of Seeing was written in 1972. The author tries to explain why looking at something is not the same as seeing it, and how that translates into the way we perceive and appreciate works of art.

The book is written in a straightforward manner, with plenty of examples and in-depth analyses of works of art and their contribution to the art world. If you want to find out how oil paintings and TV commercials are connected, Ways of Seeing can give you that answer.

· Art: The Definitive Visual Guide by Andrew Graham-Dixon

Not only is this book considered one of the most informative and influential books on art, but the new edition of this bestseller is also one of the favorite coffee table books due to its unique and visually appealing covers. All artistic movements are explained in detail, and there are more than 700 featured artists in the book and 2500 sculptures and painting.

Graham-Dixon illustrates various art movements and attempts to explain why certain works of art are regarded highly, and plenty of others are not. Given that the keyword is ‘visual’ there are many close-ups which show the most prominent features on different artistic compositions.