Wow—have I got a fabulous book to tell you about today! It’s The Art of Looking Up by Catherine McCormack (White Lion Publishing, October 2019), and it’s absolutely gorgeous.

* Complimentary book received for review. This post contains affiliate links.

As you might guess from the title, this book features ceilings, but not just any ceilings. The 40 ceilings showcased in The Art of Looking Up include some of the world’s most beautiful and significant works of art. We’re all familiar with the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel and its artist Michelangelo, and if you’ve been to the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, you may have admired the amazing glasswork of Dale Chihuly. Reading through this book, you’ll also journey to a church in Ethiopia, a palace in France, a temple in Japan, a city hall in Spain, a monastery in the Czech Republic, a museum in Cuba, metro stations in Sweden, a mosque in Iran, and so much more, learning about all of those faraway places and their people, culture, and art.

The photography is stunning. Some photographs zoom in to highlight details you can’t see from floor level, and others use foldout pages to display a ceiling in full. I was familiar with a few of the featured buildings and their beautiful ceilings, but The Art of Looking Up introduced me to many others I’d never heard of. I’ve truly been enjoying traveling the world through the pages of this book—there’s so much to see and to learn!

The book is divided into four main sections, based on topic: Religion, Culture, Power, and Politics. Each section features several locations, and each for each location, the photographs will make you feel like you’re there as you read Catherine McCormack’s discussion of the artwork, its symbolism, and how it relates to its locale and its place in history and society, as well as the artist(s) who created it.

The author, Catherine McCormack, has a wonderful knack for putting works of art in the context of place and time. Her appreciation for art is obvious, as is her appreciation of the people behind the artwork, and in this book, she has assembled an amazing collection of art that can only be seen by looking up.

The Art of Looking Up would be a wonderful gift for anyone you know who enjoys art, history, travel, reading, photography, or architecture. It’s a book you can read from beginning to end, or just turn the pages, stopping to read whatever catches your attention at the moment. It’s definitely a book that deserves a spot on your coffee table—or the coffee table of your favorite gift recipient.

* This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may or may not receive a small commission which helps to support this site. Thank you!

Giveaway: One lucky winner is going to win a copy of The Art of Looking Up, thanks to White Lion Publishing (an imprint of the Quarto Group. Good luck!

Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to residents of the US ONLY age 18 and over. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering. This giveaway will close on December 30th, 2019 at 11:59 pm EST time. No purchase necessary to enter or win.

Disclaimer: A. Bailey received a complimentary product for review purposes & feature on The Classy Chics blog. No monetary compensation was received. A. Bailey’s thoughts, opinions and words are 100% her own. Your thoughts may differ. Please read the blog’s terms of service policy before entering any giveaways. The Classy Chics are NOT responsible for prize fulfillment or shipping of any items won from this blog. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, we may or may not make a small commission which helps to support this website. Thank you!!!