* "The Nature of Art and the Work of Art" (1975): A foundational work exploring the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of art, including the relationship between the artist, the artwork, and the audience.
* "The Nature of the Abstract: Art and Imagination in the Middle Ages" (1978): This book investigates the concept of abstraction in medieval art and its relationship to ideas of religious symbolism and imaginative vision.
* "The Dialogic Imagination: Four Essays" (1989): Bernheimer examines the ways in which artistic creativity and cultural expression are shaped by dialogue, both internal and external, in this collection of essays.
* "The Philosophy of Art: An Introduction" (1993): A clear and engaging introduction to the central philosophical questions surrounding art and its meaning.
* "Art in the Western World" (1997): A comprehensive history of Western art, tracing its development from antiquity to the present.
In addition to these books, Bernheimer has also published numerous articles and essays on various aspects of art history, including medieval art, Renaissance art, and the theory of art.