Taschen

The company began as Taschen Comics, publishing Benedikt's comic collection.

In 1985, Taschen introduced the Basic Art series with an inaugural title on Salvador Dalí. Today's series comprises over 100 titles available in up to 30 languages, each about a separate artist, from classical to contemporary. Further series followed, alongside an expansion into new themes like architecture, design, film, and lifestyle. For example, the firm also publishes a "Basic Architecture" series in the same style as "Basic Art" that covers some of the most prominent architects in history.

Representation of artists

In the spring of 2014, the firm's Basic Art Series drew criticism in Swedish public media for the limited number of female artists represented. At the time, the series comprised 95 volumes, of which only five focused on women. Malmö Konsthall in Sweden first highlighted the disparity, following a project by the artists Ditte Ejlerskov and EvaMarie Lindahl. Commentators noted that the imbalance reflected a broader tendency within the established art historical canon, which had traditionally emphasized male artists. In subsequent years TASCHEN expanded the series to include additional women such as Frida Kahlo and Hilma af Klint, and has also published a range of titles dedicated to female artists, designers, and photographers across its wider catalogue.

The Helmut Newton SUMO

In 1999, Taschen expanded to the luxury market with the Helmut Newton SUMO.

Signed and limited to 10,000 copies, the folio-sized publication quickly sold out. It later became the most expensive book published in the 20th century, with SUMO copy number 1 selling at auction for $304,000.

This book paved the way for Taschen's GOAT – Greatest Of All Time, an homage to Muhammad Ali, which Der Spiegel called "the biggest, heaviest, most radiant thing ever printed in the history of civilization".

Further Collector's Editions followed, including titles with Nobuyoshi Araki, Peter Beard, David Hockney, Marvin E. Newman, David LaChapelle, Sebastião Salgado, Annie Leibovitz, and The Rolling Stones, often reaching ten times their original price within a few years.

Through the mid-to-late 1990s, the company expanded by opening stores in other cities. Some dedicated flagship Taschen bookstores, conceived in collaboration with artists and designers such as Albert Oehlen, Beatriz Milhazes, Jonas Wood, Marc Newson, Mark Grotjahn, Philippe Starck, and Toby Ziegler, are located in:

The firm has publishing offices in Berlin, Cologne, London, Paris, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong.

Between 2014 and 2018, Taschen owned and curated its own 6,000-square feet art gallery space in Los Angeles, featuring exhibitions on Michael Muller, Mick Rock, Ellen von Unwerth, and Albert Watson. The publishing house employs more than 250 staff members worldwide and many freelance editors.