Art & Art History Selected Resources

 The following is a guide to library resources that may prove useful. It is not an exhaustive list; please consult a reference librarian for help in locating additional materials.  Call, or send queries to webref@southalabama.edu

Search SOUTHcat, the University Library’s catalog for books about the practice of the arts.
                Capitalization is not necessary; punctuation doesn’t work (no hyphens and apostrophes either).
Subject examples:

GUIDES

The Artist’s Handbook of Materials and Techniques. 5th ed. rev.  Ref. ND 1500 .M3 1991
The Humanities:  A Selective Guide to Information Sources  5th edition.  Ref. AZ 221 .B42 2000

Chapter 8 is concerned with the visual arts.

Fine Arts:  A Bibliographic Guide to Basic Reference Works, Histories and Handbooks.Ref. Z 5931 .B47 1990
Art Research Methods and Resources… Ref. N 8370 .J64 1978
Artspeak: A Guide to Contemporary Ideas, Movements, and Buzzwords… Ref. N 6490 .A87 1997
Bulfinch Guide to Art History. Ref. N 8370 .B85 1996
Guide to the Literature of Art History.  Ref. Z5931 .A67
Guide to the Literature of Art History 2. Ref. Z5931 .M374 2005
Looking at Glass: A Guide to Terms, Styles and Techniques.  Bookstacks TP 788 .H42 2005
Short Guide to Writing about Art.  Bookstacks N 7476 .B37 2008
Top Careers for Art Graduates. Ref. (career counter) N 8350 .T66 2004

 

DATABASES & SOURCES FOR JOURNAL CITATIONS AND/OR ARTICLES

Academic Search Complete.  EBSCO.  General academic.  Check the “peer reviewed” box for scholary journals only.
Academic OneFile. Gale.
ARTSTOR.
JSTOR. Full text of many art/architecture journals, but the last 5 years or so not available.
Project Muse
Periodicals Archives Online.  A possibility for the early years of many periodicals.
Arts and Humanities Search. Indexing only. Fill out the Fee-Based Database Search Request form.

Print indexes (citations, but no full text):
Art Index. Ref. Z 5937 .A78.  Good for American art periodicals. Library has 1929-1999.
Bibliography of History of Art. BHA.   Ref. N 7510 .B53
Formed by a merger of Repertoire l’Art et d’Archeologie and RILA: Repertoire
International de la literature de l’art.  Library has vols. 1-6, 1991-1996
Repertoire International de la Litterature de l’Art: RILA.1975-1989. 

Ref. N 7510 .R16    Library has Vols. 1-15, 1975-1989.
BHA and RILA are important international abstracting tools for the dates covered; books,
periodical articles, dissertations, exhibition catalogs and other types of materials are cited and
abstracted. No full text of articles. Check Catalog or Our Journal List for titles cited in indexes.

 

ENCYCLOPEDIAS / DICTIONARIES

Art and Architecture Thesaurus. From the Library home page link through Topic Guides; from the left           

column  choose “Art.” Then select the Thesaurus.

Dictionary of Art. 34 vols. Ref. N 31 .D5 1996.  Comprehensive.
Dictionary of Glass Materials and Techniques.  Ref. TP 788 .B72 1995
Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art.  Ref. N 7560 .H34 1974
Dictionary of Comparative Iconography. Ref. N 7560 .E53 1998    
Encyclopedia of Italian Renaissance and Mannerist Art. Bookstacks N 6370 .E53 1999          
Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World. 4 vols. Ref.  NA 208 .E53 1997
Encyclopedia of World Art. 1959-83.15 vols. and supplements.  Ref. N 31 .E4833
Latin and Caribbean Artists of the Modern Era.  Ref. N 6502.4 .S45 2003
Oxford Companion to the Decorative Arts.  Ref. NK 30 .O93 1985
Oxford Companion to Twentieth Century Art. Ref. N 6490 .O94 1988
Oxford Dictionary of Art.  Ref. N 33 .O93 1988
Thames and Hudson Dictionary of Art Terms.  Ref. N 33 .L75 1984
ArtLex.http://www.ArtLex.com

 

HISTORIES

SOUTHcat subject searches, examples:

painting history 20th century              painting renaissance           sculpture Italian

Crowe,  J. A. and G. Cavalcaselle.  History of Painting in Italy, Umbria, Florence and Siena, from the

Second to the Sixteenth Century.  6 vols.  Bookstacks  ND 611 .C8 1975

Gardners Art Through the Ages.  11th edition.  Bookstacks.  N 5300 .G25 2001

Later editions on course reserve.

History of Art: A Survey of the Major Visual Arts from the Dawn of History. (Janson)

Bookstacks  N 5300 .J3.  Latest edition (2007)  is in the Reference area.

Masterpieces of Western Art.  Ref. N 5300 .M37 1996
Pelican History of Art. 

Search for this series as “title” on SouthCat catalog (call nos. vary –located in Bookstacks)

Sculpture of India, 3000 B.C.-1300 A.D. Bookstacks NB 1002 .C535 1985
Sir Banister Fletcher’s A History of Architecture.  Ref. NA 200 .F63 1998
Visual Arts : a History.  Bookstacks N 5300 .H68 1992

 

CRITICISM / THEORIES

Artwriting.  Bookstacks N 7476 .C37 1987
Alois Riegl: An Art History and Theory.  Bookstacks N 7483 .R54 I83 1993
Critical Historians of Art.  Bookstacks N 380 .P53 1982
Modern Arts Criticism… Ref. N 6489 .M63 1991
Panofsky and the Foundations of Art History.  Bookstacks N 7483 .P3 H64 1984
Theories of Art: from Plato to Winckelmann.  Bookstacks N 70 .B22 1985
Modern Theories of Art… Bookstacks N 70 .B2 1990
Principles of Art History… Bookstacks N 53-00 .W82

 

BIOGRAPHICAL SOURCES

For books about artists, do a subject search on the person in SOUTHcat catalog.

example:  wyeth  andrew
Be careful with non-English names, e.g., gogh  vincent  (not van gogh, vincent).
Experiment with such surnames.  They may not be consistent in form. Journals will
have articles about artists and their works.
Major art encyclopedias will also have short biographies of artists. 

The following titles will help with brief biographies:
Art Books:  A Basic Bibliography of Monographs on Artists.  Ref. N 40 .F73 1997

Biography and Genealogy Master Index.   Brief information. Link to website from "E-Reference" on home page.

Biographical Dictionary of Artists.  Ref. N 40 .B53 1995

Contemporary Artists.  Ref. N 6490 .C6567.  Library’s latest is 1996.

Dictionnaire Critique et Documentaire des Peinteurs, Sculpteurs. 10 vols.  Ref. N 40 .B47 1976

Dictionary of  Women Artists.  Ref. N 43 .P47 1985

Mantle Fielding’s Dictionary of American Painting.Ref. N 6536 .F5 1986

St. James Guide to Black Artists.  Ref. N 40 .S78 1997

Who’s Who in American Art.  Ref. N 6536 .W5.  Library’s latest is 1997/98.

World Artists, 1950-1980.  Ref. N 6489 .M37 1984.

 

REPRODUCTIONS

ARTSTOR–Art work can be viewed and printed (in black & white) on Library workstations.

Advanced features such as color printing are available on PC’s (campus or home).  Link through “E-Reference Sources.”

American Printmakers, 1880-1945: An Index to Reproductions…Bookstacks NE 507 .W53 1993
The Black Artist in America:  an Index to Reproductions.  Ref. N 6538 .N5 T46 1991
Contemporary Art and Artists: An Index to Reproductions. Bookstacks N 6490 .P3234 1978
Index to Two-Dimensional Art Works. 1981.  Ref. N 7525 .K67
Historical Art Index, A.D. 400-1650.  Bookstacks  N 8210 .R6 1989
Illustration Index. 2nd edition.  Supplements 5-8.  Ref. N 7525 .G72

“This is a tool for the identification of photos, maps, and drawings in 8-10 periodicals                       
as well as a selective listing of books “(Ron Blazek).

Index to Reproductions of European Paintings. Monro. 1956. Ref. ND 43 .M6
Index to Two Dimensional Art Works. 1981. Ref. N 7525 .K67
Sculpture Index.  Ref. NB 36 .C55 1970
World Painting Index.  Ref. ND 45 .H38 1977

 

DIRECTORIES

Art in America.  annual.   Ref. N 1 .A43

Latest year only.  This is special issue of the magazine  is a guide to galleries, museums,& artists.

American Art Directory.  Ref. N 50 .A54.  2003/04 is our latest.  Part II: Art Schools
Artists and Graphic Designers Market.  Bookstacks N 8600 .A76. 

Latest in ReferenceGrants for Artists. NEA. Go to Catalog & key in title.  Follow link.

Museums of the World. 2 vols. 8th edition. Ref. AM 1 .M76 2001
Worldwide Art Resources. http://wwar.com

After connecting, choose the “museums” link in the 2nd paragraph, first column

 

MORE ELECTRONIC SOURCES

 

AskArt. http://askart.com
Louvre.  http://www.Louvre.fr/louvrea.htm
National Gallery of Art.  http://www.nga.gov/collection
ArtsEdNet.  The Getty Educational Institute.  http://www.getty.edu/artsednet
Art on Film Online.  http://www.artfilm.org
Timeline of Art History. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/splash.htm

For more websites, go to the home page and click on Topic Guides, then select “Art.”

MORE EXAMPLES OF SUBJECT SEARCHING, ALSO KEYWORD SEARCHING:

                Subject or keyword (for phrases,  put keyword searches in quotation marks):

                Keyword with boolean:

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Questions (jwright@jaguar1.usouthal.edu) or call (251) 460-7025.
URL: http://www.southalabama.edu/univlib/guides/art.htm
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Last updated: 6/14/2012 ap