NEW YORK, NY.- From ancient myths to modern blockbusters, stories have long shaped how we understand ourselves and the world around us. Created in collaboration with the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, this two-volume monograph traces the rich history of visual storytelling across generations, cultures, and artistic disciplines.
Drawing from the museum’s extraordinary offerings, the book explores narrative image-making across painting, illustration, photography, comics, and the arts of filmmaking. These works reveal the shared visual language that connects fine art and popular culture, following the evolution of storytelling from canvas to the silver screen.
Organized thematically, the volumes bring together work by many of the defining artists and storytellers of the modern era. From Norman Rockwell and Frank Frazetta to celebrated photographers, comic creators, and children's book illustrators, the works show how images help us make sense of the world, spark curiosity, and invite us to imagine new possibilities.
A dedicated cinema section explores the art of Star Wars through original production art, concept paintings, costumes, and vehicles. Together, these works offer a rare look at the creative process behind one of the most enduring narrative worlds in modern culture, revealing how ideas evolve through collaboration into stories that continue to resonate across generations.
Featuring texts by George Lucas and Guillermo del Toro, this two-volume set is a celebration of storytelling through images and of the artists whose work continues to shape our shared imagination.
The editor
Jessica Hundley is an author, filmmaker and journalist. She has written for the likes of Vogue, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times, and has authored books on artists including Dennis Hopper, David Lynch, and Gram Parsons. Hundley often explores the counterculture in her work, with a focus on metaphysics, psychedelia, and magic.
The authors
Guillermo del Toro is a filmmaker, writer, and producer known for blending fantasy, horror, and history in works such as Frankenstein (2025), The Shape of Water (2017), and Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). A prolific author, collector, and advocate for visual culture, he has long championed artists, narrative art, and imaginative storytelling.
Ryan Linkof is Senior Curator and Head of Film Programs at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Previously, he served on the founding curatorial team of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and as a curator at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California and is the author and editor of numerous publications on photography, film, and narrative art.
The artist
George Lucas is a filmmaker, writer, producer, and co-founder of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Best known as the creator of Star Wars and Indiana Jones, he has helped shape modern cinema through Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic. His longstanding support of artists and visual storytelling is reflected in the publications he has contributed to and the museum’s founding vision.
Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
Hardcover, two vols. in slipcase, 9.6 x 12.0 in., 13.52 lb, 832 pages
ISBN 978-3-7544-0564-2
Edition: English
