Five new art books to look out for this autumn, including publications on US monuments and Vermeer close-ups

Five new art books are set for release this autumn, covering topics from US monuments and Vermeer's techniques to post-war British culture and contemporary Pakistani-American art. Titles include 'Closer to Vermeer' (Thames & Hudson), 'Monumental: How a New Generation of Artists Is Shaping the Memorial Landscape' (MIT Press), 'British Blonde' (Paul Mellon Centre), 'Art Is: A Journey into the Light' (Yale), and 'Shahzia Sikander' (Lund Humphries), each offering fresh scholarship or monographic depth.