Our Story
In 1928, Albert Skira laid the foundations of his publishing house. During these early years, his determination and passion led him to work with the greatest artists, from Picasso and Matisse to the surrealists. His aim was to create, akin to a Parisian Salon, a space for conversations, encounters and exchanges. The creation of these early editorial successes was the natural outcome of a shared desire to explore the mystery of art.
After nearly a hundred years, Skira remains an open house to artists, free to express themselves and to discover new ways to narrate their stories. This unique creative atmosphere leads to editorial projects of the highest quality, marked by academic rigour, interpretative audacity, impeccable standards of production and printing and originality in both imagery and text.
Today, Skira is a respected international point of reference for artistic monographs, art and culture books and in-depth catalogues. Skira stands out for the production of large temporary exhibitions that travel the world and it also collaborates with the most important museums for publications, events and boutique bookshops.
At its heart, Skira is a vital network of excellence, connecting authors, curators, gallery owners and collectors.
In a constant quest for knowledge, Skira offers a wide range of titles, spanning from contemporary and historic visual arts, to archaeology, photography, fashion, sport and architecture.
From the moment the publishing house was founded in 1928, the values and attitudes of Skira were abundantly clear. These early years saw a succession of rare books – themselves works of art – which set out Skira’s artistic credentials, from the legendary Metamorphoses of Ovid, illustrated by Picasso in 1931, to Mallarmé’s Poésies with etchings by Matisse in 1932. These publications were personally championed by Albert Skira, who embodied the role of a publisher as an active cultural promoter, powered by his innate ability to forge valuable connections and collaborations. His companions in exploring the enigma of art were the surrealists and he published the magazine Minotaure in 1933. Four years later in 1937 came the launch of the first Skira series, Les Trésors de la Peinture française.
The influential Grands Livres mark the international take-off of the publishing house in the 1950s and 1960s. The print quality was unprecedented and topics ranged from histories of the great schools of European painting to emerging American art. In 1973 Albert Skira died prematurely in the same year as his great friend Picasso.
After a complex period in which the publishing landscape underwent significant changes, Skira opened its new headquarters in Milan in 1995, which was joined by the Paris branch in 2008. At the end of the 1990s, Skira’s debut in the production of large exhibitions made it a unique feature of publishing, together with the Skira boutique bookshops located inside museums.
Among the company’s many successes are the 2015 exhibition “Leonardo da Vinci 1452–1519: The design of the world”. This showcased an impressive number of works from the most prestigious institutions in the world, such as the Louvre and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, which cemented Skira’s position as a leading cultural authority.
In the 2010s, Skira undertook a series of increasingly prestigious collaborations with museums and cultural foundations. It was named the official publisher of the Munch Museum in 2013 and was made partner of the Louvre Abu Dhabi from 2017, while in 2019, Skira became the publisher of Gallerie d’Italia.
In 2023, Skira joined the international culture and publishing group Museum Studio, enhancing its international presence.
Skira: exploring, opening and tracing paths towards culture.
Albert Skira
At the age of 24, Alberto Schira, born in Geneva to Italian immigrants, Gallicises his name and founds “Albert Skira–Livres d’art”. It is based in a small room at the Hôtel de la Cloche in Lausanne, Switzerland. He begins with the grand ambition to decipher the mystery of art.
Picasso
A dazzling debut with Ovid’s Metamorphoses, illustrated by Pablo Picasso. More than 30 etchings of powerful sensuality, it had a print run of only 145 copies, which began on 25 October 1931, the Spanish master’s 50th birthday. It is the beginning of a long friendship and collaboration between Picasso and Skira.
Minotaure
Publication of the first issue of Minotaure, with 11 issues over six years edited by Skira. This manifesto magazine of surrealism probes not only the world of art, but also psychoanalysis, literature, music, archaeology, architecture and photography. Contributors include Breton, Éluard, Miró, Giacometti and many others. Among the main inspirations are Picasso, Matisse, Dalí, Derain and Balthus.
Alberto Giacometti
The magazine Labyrinthe is published, based on Alberto Giacometti’s idea to create “a bridge between modern artists and intellectuals and those before the war”. It stands out for its incisive black and white illustrations and for the editorial committee behind it, with figures of the calibre of Paul Valéry and Simone de Beauvoir.
Matisse
For its 20th anniversary, Skira publishes a legendary catalogue. On the cover is a woman’s face, a work by Matisse, which the publisher will later adopt as a logo. In the introduction, Paul Éluard highlights Skira’s contribution in promoting the protagonists of French art and culture.
Skira's Authors
Among Skira’s authors were the foremost art historians of the time, from Lionello Venturi to André Chastel and Giulio Carlo Argan, as well as literati and poets such as Louis Aragon, Roland Barthes, and Jacques Prévert.
Rosabianca Skira
Albert Skira died prematurely, in the same year as his friend Pablo Picasso. His wife Rosabianca, daughter of Lionello Venturi, takes over the reins of the publishing house.
Milano
Giorgio Fantoni and Massimo Vitta Zelman acquire Skira and transfer the headquarters to Milan. They set about creating an illustrious advisory board, including such respected names as Federico Zeri, Carlo Bertelli, Vittorio Gregotti, Germano Celant, Emilio Tadini and Pierluigi Cerri.
High-Profile Events
Skira establishes itself as a leader in the publication of catalogues for major Italian and European exhibitions. By the end of the 1990s, it also becomes a producer of high-profile events, in collaboration with Italian public institutions.
Artistic Spaces
The Skira boutiques begin to appear inside exhibitions and museums. These are artistic spaces with a wide variety of editorial proposals and original objects – a must-see for enthusiasts and for artistic tourism in Italy.
Paris
The publishing house consolidates its presence in Paris, where it has been active since 2003 thanks to the Skira-Flammarion agreement. Based in offices on the rue Serpente in the 6th arrondissement, Skira Paris continues to publish for prestigious museums such as the Louvre and the Musée Picasso and collaborates with important galleries and architects like Jean-Michel Wilmotte.
Prime Art Museum
The Louvre Abu Dhabi opens. It is the largest French cultural project abroad and the prime art museum in the Arab world. Skira becomes a privileged partner for its publications.
CHARGEURS Museum Studio
Skira is acquired by Chargeurs Museum Studio, a leader in shaping the world of culture and the arts. Today, Skira is part of this large international group that dedicates its vast platform of services and skills to museums, foundations and brands all over the world.
