Dictionaries for Art
Art dictionaries aid in understanding the specialized vocabulary of art and related disciplines by providing definitions to terms, techniques, movements, and so on.
Basic dictionaries,
focused primarily or exclusively on Western art and including
biographical entries in addition to definitions of terms:
The Bulfinch Guide to Art History: A Comprehensive Survey and Dictionary of Western Art and Architecture.
N380.B85 1996 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
The Oxford Companion to Western Art.
N33.O923 2001 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
The Oxford Dictionary of Art.
N33.O93 1997 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
The Penguin Concise Dictionary of Art History.
N5300.F64 2000 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
The Penguin Dictionary of Art and Artists. 7th ed.
N31.M8 1997 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
The Thames and Hudson Dictionary of Art and Artists.
N31.T4 1994 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
The Yale Dictionary of Art and Artists.
N33.L353 2000 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Additional resources:
ArtLex
Artwords: A Glossary of Contemporary Art Theory.
N71.P32 1997 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Critical Terms for Art History.
N34.C75 1996 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
A Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Art.
N6490.C528 1998 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
For more dictionaries on contemporary art, refer to the
Contemporary Art guide.
From Abacus to Zeus: A Handbook of Art History. 6th ed.
N33.P5 2001 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
The Oxford Companion to Christian Art and Architecture.
N7830.M87 1996 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
For more focused coverage on the decorative arts and design:
The Facts on File Dictionary of Design and Designers.
NK1165.J47 1984 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Also published as Penguin Dictionary of Design and Designers.
NK1165.J474 1984b (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
The Oxford Companion to the Decorative Arts.
NK1165.O85 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
The Penguin Dictionary of Decorative Arts.
NK30.F55 1989 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
For dictionaries focused on methods and materials:
Artists' and Illustrators' Encyclopedia.
N33.Q5 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
The HarperCollins Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques.
N33.M37 1992 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Materials & Techniques in the Decorative Arts: An Illustrated Dictionary.
NK30.M38 2000 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
For dictionaries on specific media:
The Encyclopedia of Sculpture Techniques.
NB1170.M528 1989 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Looking at European Ceramics: A Guide to Technical Terms.
NK4083.C64 1993 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Looking at European Sculpture: A Guide to Technical Terms.
NB50.B37 1997 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Looking at Paintings: A Guide to Technical Terms.
ND31.C37 1992 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Looking at Photographs: A Guide to Technical Terms.
TR9.B35 1991 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Looking at Prints, Drawings, and Watercolours: A Guide to Technical Terms.
N33.G65 1988 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Understanding Illuminated Manuscripts: A Guide to Technical Terms.
ND2889.B76 1994 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Foreign language art dictionaries (mostly translations without definitions):
Dictionnaire polyglotte des termes d'art et d'archéologie.
N33.R42 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
German-English Dictionary: Art History, Archaeology.
N33.A557 1990 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Multilingual Glossary for Art Librarians: English with Indexes in Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Swedish.
N34.M84 1996 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, 2nd Floor - Ready Reference)
Thesaurus of Religious Objects ... of the Roman Catholic Faith.
BX1925.T48 1999 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Dictionaries of names and titles:
A Dictionary of Art Titles: The Origins of the Names and Titles of 3,000 Works of Art.
N33.R56 2000 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Pronunciation Dictionary of Artists' Names.
N40.K3 1993 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
To locate additional dictionaries, search the CAT using the keywords "dictionary" and [your topic].