The Painter in Oil Book

This is one of my favorite art books of all time. Yes, it's an old book and the language is outdated, but the lessons certainly aren't. The Painter in Oil was written in 1898, in what I personally consider the golden era of representational painting. I'm a professional figurative oil painter and this book is jam-packed with philosophical insights from someone who truly and fully understand what it means to be an artist and strive for greatness. Daniel Parkhurst was a pupil of William-Adolphe Bouguereau, so that should give you an idea of the league he was in. I learn something new each time I reread this book. It's the one I almost always bring on long travels. It's a gem that can be bought for next to nothing. You can even read it for free if you head over to Project Gutenberg.