night at the museum
books with a painting/artwork on the cover see the pinned comment for artwork details suggestions welcome đ§this list is under constructionđ§
created by alexz
last updated August, 2026
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đ Blue Horses by Mary Oliver đźď¸ Tower of Blue Horses, oil on canvas by Franz Marc, 1913
đ Giovanniâs Room by James Baldwin đźď¸ James Baldwin, oil on canvasboard by Beauford Delaney, c. 1945-1950
đ When You are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris đźď¸ Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette, oil on canvas by Vincent Van Gogh, c. 1885-1886
đ Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin đźď¸ The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, ukiyo-e (woodblock print) by Katsushika Hokusai, 1831
đ In Memoriam by Alice Winn đźď¸ Charlie Mitchell, watercolour by Henry Scott Tuke, 1909
đ Tin Man by Sarah Winman đźď¸ Beach Study, oil on panel by Henry Scott Tuke, 1928
đ Heap Earth Upon It by Chloe Michelle Howarth đźď¸ Loveâs Shadow, oil on panel by Frederick Sandys, c. 1867
đ This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman đźď¸ Bundt Cake, oil on canvas by Beverly Shipko, 2020
đ The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden đźď¸ Le Foyer, oil on canvas by Anne Françoise Couloumy, 2006-2007
đ Writers & Lovers by Lily King đźď¸ Dutch Still Life with Lemon Tart and Engagement Calendar, acrylic on canvas by Paul Wonner, 1979
đ The Gales of November by John U. Bacon đźď¸ Every Man Knew, oil on canvas by David Conklin, 1995
đ Too Much by Rachel Vorona Cote đźď¸ Helen of Troy, oil on panel Frederick Sandys, c. 1867
đ The Pretender by Jo Harkin đźď¸ Portrait of a Boy with a Falcon, oil on canvas by Wallerant Vaillant, c. 1600s
đ Moderation by Elaine Castillo đźď¸ Admiration, oil on canvas by Vittorio Reggianini, date unknown
đ Allâs Well by Mona Awad đźď¸ Mischief and Repose, oil on canvas by John William Godward, c. 1895
đ If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English by Noor Naga đźď¸ A Bischari Warrior, oil on canvas by Jean-LĂŠon GĂŠrĂ´me, c. 1872
đ Off With Her Head by Eleanor Herman đźď¸ Marie Antoinette Being Taken to Her Execution, oil on canvas by William Hamilton, c. 1794
đ The Doloriad by Missouri Williams đźď¸ Woman Tuning a Lute, oil on canvas by Gerrit van Honthorst, c. 1624
đ Cursed Bread by Sophie Mackintosh đźď¸ Still Life with Bottle, Glass and Loaf, oil on canvas by an imitator of Jean-SimĂŠon Chardin, c. 1800s
đ The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li đźď¸ A Dog with a dead Goose and Peacock (A Study of Game and Fruit), oil on canvas(?) by Jan Weenix, c. 1700
đ A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers đźď¸ Ghismunda, oil on canvas by Bernardino Mei, c. 1650
đ The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown đźď¸ Mona Lisa, oil on panel by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1503
đ Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh đźď¸ Agnus Dei, oil on canvas by Francisco de ZurbarĂĄn, c. 1635
đ The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt đźď¸ The Goldfinch, oil on panel by Carel Fabritius, c. 1654
đ Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda đźď¸ Boy with a Basket of Fruit, oil on canvas by Caravaggio, c. 1593
đ These Days by Lucy Caldwell đźď¸ Woman in the Window, oil on canvas by Alberto Morrocco, c. 1953
đ Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan đźď¸ After the Ball, oil on canvas by Ramon Casas i Carbo, c. 1899
đ Dream State by Eric Puchner đźď¸ The Teton Range oil on canvas by Thomas Moran, c. 1897
đ A Good Person by Kirsten King đźď¸ Loveâs Shadow, oil on panel by Frederick Sandys, c. 1867
đ Hungerstone by Kat Dunn đźď¸ The Nightmare, oil on canvas by Henry Fuseli, c. 1781
đ The Longest Way to Eat a Melon by Jacquelyn Zong-Li Ross đźď¸ Kittens and Snail, oil on canvas by Alfred Arthur Brunel de Neuville, undated
đ Indelicacy by Amina Cain đźď¸ *Margaretha van Haexbergen (1614-1676) by Gerard ter Borch the Younger, c.1666
đ Trespasses by Louise Kennedy đźď¸ In a Bar, oil on canvas by Frederick William Elwell, 1943
đ The Marriage Portrait by Maggie OâFarrell đźď¸ Lucrezia deâ Medici (1545-1561), oil on panel by Alessandro Allori, c. 1560
đ Seduction Theory by Emily Adrian đźď¸ The Swing, oil on canvas by Jean-HonorĂŠ Fragonard, c. 1767
đ Among Friends by Hal Ebbott đźď¸ Life During Wartime, oil on linen by Bo Bartlett, 2018
đ The Capital Of Dreams by Heather O'Neill đźď¸ Mother and son in the garden, chromolithograph after a drawing by Hugo BĂźrkner, c. 1878
đ Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier đźď¸ Girl with a Pearl Earring, oil on canvas by Johannes Vermeer, c. 1665
đ To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara đźď¸ Iokepa, Hawaiian Fisher Boy, oil on canvas by Hubert Vos, c. 1898
đ My Year Of Rest And Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh đźď¸ Portrait of a Young Woman in White, oil on canvas by an anonymous artist (Circle of Jacques-Louis David), c. 1798
Love this đŤśđź I think thereâs another book that uses Loveâs Shadow coming out this year but I cannot remember what it is!
alexzOP
there is. đââď¸đââď¸đââď¸ i shall have to investigate!
Ooh this is a great list!! I absolutely love these types of covers!!
alexzOP
thanks so much. gathering the info has taken way more work than i might have expected.
I can imagine, but It's definitely worth it. This is an amazing list!!!
i love this list!!!
i love this so much wow 𤊠this is so cool!
Tin man Sarah Winman (multiple editions, Iâm thinking the one with a boy on the cover which is by a queer author, personally) (Beach Study, 1928, Henry Scott Tuke). A different edition includes what could be mistaken as Van Goghâs Sunflowers, but is an allusion to.
In memoriam - also boy on cover, (same artist as above, I believe, if my memory serves me right)
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow Gabrielle Zevin (the great wave, Hokusai)
One of David Sedarisâ covers has the smoking skeleton painting (Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette, winter 1885-1886, Van Gogh)
đ¤ hmmm
Thereâs a newer edition of Giovanniâs room with a portrait of him done by a friend ( James Baldwin, c.1945-50, Beauford Delaney)
Blue Horses by Mary Oliver has painting of blue horses (Der Turm der Blauen Pferde, or Tower of Blue Horses by Franz Marc, 1913)
Great list! Would love to know if anyone has seen any of these in person. Iâve seen âThe Nightmareâ at the Detroit Institute of Arts and itâs awesome (I bought a magnet of it too)
