Judging a Book by Its Cover: Bridgeman Images' May Book Club Picks
As the saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover - but we’d argue there’s an art to making readers do just that. In this month’s spotlight, Bridgeman Images celebrates a selection of newly released titles where timeless artworks and archive imagery have been transformed into eye-catching book covers, demonstrating just how powerfully visual storytelling can begin before a page is even turned.
From surreal symbolism to bold portraiture, designers have tapped into Bridgeman’s expansive archive to enrich and elevate their work, drawing connections between content and cover that are as conceptual as they are beautiful. The result? Books that don’t just sit on shelves - they stand out on them.
A Closer Look at the Covers
Shamanism by Manvir Singh
Image: Departure, 1952 (oil on canvas) by Agnes Pelton
Designer: Ariel Harari
Publisher: Penguin Random House
A swirling vision of spiritual abstraction sets the tone for this anthropological exploration into mystical belief systems, with Pelton’s ethereal canvas creating the perfect visual entry point.
Wild Thing by Sue Prideaux
Images: Self-Portrait, Les Misérables, 1888 by Paul Gauguin & archival portrait (1891) of Gauguin
Designer: Milan Bozic
Publisher: WW Norton
Gauguin himself becomes both subject and symbol here - an intimate portrait woven into a biography that’s as provocative as the artist it depicts.
Casanova 20 by Davey Davis
Image: Head of a Boy, 1920 by Guy Richard Charles Wyndham
Designer: Victoria Maxfield
Publisher: Catapult
A subtle, contemplative painting lends emotional depth and ambiguity to this modern queer narrative of identity and resistance.
The Red House by Mary Morris
Image: Olive Groves, Italy, 1933 by Julian Trevelyan
Designer: Emily Mahon
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Trevelyan’s loose, lyrical lines evoke the serenity - and secrets - of an Italian landscape central to this sweeping intergenerational tale.
Erased by Anna Malaika Tubbs
Image: La Vie en Bleu #0, 2021 by Luciano Cian
Designer: Alison Forner
Publisher: Flatiron Books
With a digital work that feels both vibrant and confrontational, this cover reframes the narrative around women erased from history, using modern visuals to challenge inherited silences.
Whether it’s a historic oil painting or a contemporary digital work, the archive serves as both inspiration and intervention, ridging art history with editorial vision to create covers that speak volumes.
This month’s book club picks demonstrate the creative synergy between art, design, and storytelling, underscoring the vital role visual archives play in shaping how we experience literature today.
Explore more inspiring campaigns and collaborations from Bridgeman here.
