The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and TASCHEN present a sweeping exploration of the images that have shaped the way we imagine, remember, and understand the world.

Published on the occasion of the Museum’s inaugural exhibition and opening on September 22, 2026, this extraordinary project unfolds across a sumptuous two-volume edition as well as two smaller formats. Its pages trace the long arc of visual storytelling, connecting traditions of image-making across centuries, cultures, and mediums.

Featuring texts by George Lucas and Guillermo del Toro, with an introduction by Ryan Linkof, the books bring together an exceptional cast of artists and image-makers, including Thomas Hart Benton, Jessie Willcox Smith, Frank Frazetta, Maxfield Parrish, Norman Rockwell, andN. C. Wyeth. Their work appears alongside that of other celebrated artists and image-makers across painting, illustration, photography, comics, children’s books, and cinema. Organized thematically, the books draw connections across artists, eras, and forms, from intimate moments and imagined worlds to images that have entered the collective imagination.

A dedicated section on cinema explores the visual universe of Star Wars. Original production art and concept paintings appear alongside costumes and vehicles, illuminating the creative process behind one of the most enduring sagas in popular culture. Together, they show how ideas develop through collaboration into stories that resonate across generations.
 
The publication is led by the spectacular two-volume Classic edition, conceived as the definitive format and produced with TASCHEN’s signature attention to image, scale, paper, and print. The 45 edition offers a more compact format, while the Piccolo edition distills the project into an irresistible miniature volume, available exclusively through Lucas Museum retail outlets.

Contributor Bios

George Lucas is a filmmaker, writer, producer, and co­founder 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.

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.

Jessica Hundley is an author, filmmaker, and journalist. She has written for publications including Vogue, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times and has written 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.

About the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

Founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is dedicated to honoring the universal tradition of telling stories through images. Encompassing everything from prehistoric cave paintings to today’s screen art, the Museum explores and celebrates the power of visual storytelling to inspire individuals, give shape to beliefs and ideals, and forge community.

Located in Los Angeles’s Exposition Park, the Museum occupies a five-story, 300,000-square-foot building designed by Ma Yansong of MAD with Stantec to embody the emotional power of narrative art, creating a sense of wonder, possibility, and connection to something larger than ourselves. The building is integrated within a 13-acre campus, including a park designed by Mia Lehrer of Studio-MLA: a green, multilayered gathering place for local communities and an extraordinary programming resource that brings learning and engagement outdoors.