The publication will be available as a two-volume edition and in two smaller formats. (photo courtesy of Taschen)

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and art book publisher Taschen are releasing a new publication exploring centuries of visual storytelling in conjunction with the museum’s inaugural exhibition and opening in Exposition Park.

Available as a two-volume edition and in two smaller formats, the publication examines traditions of image-making across different cultures, eras and media. Painting, illustration, photography, comics, children’s books and cinema are among the forms represented.

The books feature texts by Lucas Museum co-founder and filmmaker George Lucas and filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, with an introduction by Ryan Linkof, senior curator and head of film programs at the museum.

Works by Thomas Hart Benton, Jessie Willcox Smith, Frank Frazetta, Maxfield Parrish, Norman Rockwell and N.C. Wyeth are among those included. The publication is organized thematically, drawing connections between artists and forms of visual storytelling and examining subjects ranging from everyday experiences to imagined worlds.

A section devoted to cinema focuses on the visual world of “Star Wars.” Original production artwork and concept paintings are presented alongside costumes and vehicles, examining the creative process behind the film series and the collaboration involved in bringing its stories to the screen.

The publication’s largest format is the two-volume Classic edition, which emphasizes reproductions of artwork through its scale, paper and printing. A smaller version, called the 45 edition, will also be available. The Piccolo edition condenses the project into a miniature volume and will be sold exclusively through Lucas Museum retail outlets.

The publication accompanies the opening of the Lucas Museum, which was co-founded by Lucas and Mellody Hobson and is dedicated to narrative art and visual storytelling. The museum’s collection spans illustration, comics, painting, photography, cinematic art and other forms of image-based storytelling.

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens to the public on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at One Lucas Plaza.

For information, visit lucasmuseum.org.