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Reference Resources for Art



Bibliographies | Indexes | Encyclopedias | Dictionaries |
Biographies | Directories | Surveys | Handbooks | Primary Sources


Additional resources:

Bibliographies

Bibliographies are lists of books on a particular topic.

Guides to research, including explanations of research methods as well as annotated bibliographies of reference sources:
Art Information: Research Methods and Resources. Jones. 1990.
N85.J64 1990 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, 2nd Floor - Ready Reference)

Useful to all audiences, Lois Swan Jones's highly-regarded guide offers detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to find information for commons types of art research problems: iconographical research, provenance, finding reproductions of a work, etc. Appendices include a multilingual glossary.


Art Information and the Internet: How to Find It, How to Use It.
N59.J66 1999 (Architecture, 207 Engineering Unit C - Reference Collection)
Guide to Basic Information Sources in the Visual Arts.
N7425.M88 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Research Guide to the History of Western Art.
N380.K56 1982 (Pattee, West Wing - 3rd Floor)

Annotated bibliographies, describing resources to aid in determining their usefulness:
Applied and Decorative Arts: A Bibliographic Guide.
Z5956.A68E47 1993 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Fine Arts: A Bibliographic Guide to Basic Reference Works, Histories, and Handbooks.
Z5931.E47 1990 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Guide to the Literature of Art History.
Z5931.A67 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, 2nd Floor - Ready Reference)

Additional resources:
Art Books: A Basic Bibliography of Monographs on Artists.
N40.F731 1997 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
The Worldwide Bibliography of Art Exhibition Catalogues, 1963-1987.
N4396.W675 1992 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)

To locate additional bibliographies, search the CAT using the keywords "bibliography" and [your topic].

Indexes

Indexes provide bibliographic citations for articles and reviews in journals, magazines, newspapers, and periodical literature. Some indexes include abstracts, or brief summaries of the contents of the article. For full-text articles, consult the Electronic Journals list.

Art
Try these first:
Art Abstract 1984-present
Art Index Retrospective 1929-1984
Bibliography of the History of Art 1973-present

Additional resources, with more focused coverage:

AATA Online 1955-present
ARTbibliographies Modern 1974-present
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals 1930s-present
Burnham Index to Architectural Literature. 1919-1965.
Z5944.U5B87 (Architecture, 207 Engineering Unit C - Reference Collection)
Index to Nineteenth Century American Art Periodicals.
N6510.S35 1999 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Humanities
Try these first:
America: History and Life 1964-present
Arts and Humanities Citation Index 1986-present
Historical Abstracts 1954-present
MLA Bibliography 1963-present
Poole's Index to Periodical Literature. 1802-1907.
AI3.P7 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, 2nd Floor - Abstracts & Indexes)

Additional resources, with more focused coverage:


L'annee philologique, bibliographie critique et analytique de l'antiquite greco-latine. 1924-present.
Z7016.M35A5 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Vols. 45-60 also available on CD-ROM: Database of Classical Bibliography, Z7016.D38 v.2 1997 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, 2nd Floor - Ready Reference)
Annual Egyptological Bibliography. 1947-present.
Z3656.A2A6 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Available on the Web, 1992-
Archäologische Bibliographie. 1913-1993.
Z5132.A67 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Bibliography of Asian Studies 1971-present
Dyabola 1994-present.
Z5132.A67 (Arts & Humanities, West Pattee 2nd Flr-Music & Media Center)
Fasti archaeologici: Annual Bulletin of Classical Archaeology. 1946-1986.
GN700.I552 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
International Medieval Bibliography. 1968-present.
Z6203.I63 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Iter: Gateway to the Middle Ages and Renaissance 1990-present

Encyclopedias

Encyclopedias offer a starting point for research by providing a brief summary of a topic and a bibliography to point to additional literature on that topic. Encyclopedias may also be consulted for quick facts such as names, dates, and places.

Try this first:

The Dictionary of Art..
N31.D5 1996 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, 2nd Floor - Ready Reference)

Complementary resources:

Encyclopedia of Aesthetics.
BH56.E53 1998 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Encyclopedia of World Art.
N31.E533 Q (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)

Additional resources, with more focused coverage:

Enciclopedia dell'arte antica, classica e orientale.
N31.E48 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Enciclopedia dell'arte medievale.
N5969.E582 1991 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection) Reallexikon zur byzantinischen Kunst.
N6250.R4 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)

To locate additional encyclopedias, search The CAT using the keywords "encyclopedia" and [your topic].

Dictionaries

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].

Biographical Sources

Using Biography and Genealogy Master Index as a starting point may direct you more quickly to exactly which biographical sources you need. Also consult the Dictionary of Art.

Biographical Dictionaries
Biographical dictionaries provide a brief overview of an artist's career and may include details on the artist's life, education, exhibitions, and writings.
Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart. Thieme and Becker.
N40.T4 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Dictionnaire critique et documentaire des peintres, sculpteurs, dessinateurs et graveurs de tous les temps et de tous les pays. Bénézit.
N40.B47 1999 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)

Additional resources:

Dictionary of Art Historians
Who Was Who in American Art, 1564-1975: 400 Years of Artists in America.
N6536.W48 1999 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Who's Who in American Art.
N6536.W5 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Who's Who in Art.
N40.W6 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)

See also the guide to Contemporary Art for biographical dictionaries on contemporary artists.

Biographical Indexes

Biographical indexes will point to dictionaries or other sources with biographical information.
Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon bio-bibliographischer Index A-Z = The Artists of the World: Bio-Bibliographical Index A-Z.
N40.A66 1999 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, 2nd Floor - Ready Reference)
Artist Biographies Master Index.
N40.A78 1986 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Index to Artistic Biography.
N40.H38 & suppl. (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Union List of Artist Names.
N40.U54 1994 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)

To locate additional biographical sources, search the CAT using the keywords "biography" and [your topic].

Directories

Directories provide addresses and other contact information for artists, resources (such as museums, galleries, libraries, and arts organizations), and educational institutions.

Art & Design Associations on the World Wide Web
Art Diary International.
N50.A77 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, 2nd Floor - Ready Reference)
American Art Directory.
N50.A54
IFLA International Directory of Art Libraries
Internationales Kunst-Adressbuch = International Directory of Arts.
N50.I6 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)

To locate additional directories, see the guides to Museum Studies and Professional Practice for Artists, or search the CAT using the keywords "directory" and [your topic].

Surveys

Surveys discuss the history of art (or of a period, region, or aspect of art). Also included in this list are atlases and chronologies, which, along with surveys, can be helpful in understanding how an artist or a work of art fits into historical developments in a particular time or place.

Gardner's Art Through the Ages. 11th ed.
N5300.G25 2001 (Pattee, West Wing - 3rd Floor)
Hartt. Art: A History of Painting, Sculpture, Architecture. 3rd ed.
N5300.H283 1989 (Pattee, West Wing - 3rd Floor)
Janson. History of Art: The Western Tradition. 6th ed.
N5300.J3 2001 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Stokstad. Art History. 2nd ed.
N5300.S923 2002 (Pattee, West Wing - 3rd Floor)

Excepting Janson, all of the above surveys include non-Western art to some extent. For an overview of non-Western art:
Art Beyond the West: The Art of Africa, India and Southeast Asia, China, Japan and Korea, the Pacific, and the Americas.
N5300.K292 2002 (Pattee, West Wing - 3rd Floor)

Monographic Series

Oxford History of Art. New York: Oxford University Press.
Call numbers vary. Browse under series for individual titles.
World of Art. London: Thames & Hudson.
Call numbers vary. Browse under series for individual titles.

Atlases and Chronologies

On the history of the visual arts:
Atlas of Western Art History: Artists, Sites, and Movements from Ancient Greece to the Modern Age.
G1046.E64S7 1994 Q (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Key Dates in Art History: From 600 BC to the Present.
N5306.M35 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Timeline of Art History

For a broader view of the arts (visual, literary, and performing):
Calendar of Creative Man.
NX447.5.P38 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Timelines of the Arts and Literature.
NX447.5.B76 1994 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
The Wilson Chronology of the Arts.
N5306.O26 1998 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)

To locate additional surveys, search the CAT using the keywords "history" and [your topic].

Handbooks

Handbooks such as these may be useful in the research and writing stages of the paper process.

History of Art: A Students' Handbook.
N380.P56 1997 (Pattee, West Wing - 3rd Floor)
A Short Guide to Writing About Art. Barnet.
N7476.B37 2000 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Visual Arts Research: A Handbook.
N85.P55 1986 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection)
Writing About Art.
N7476.S29 2002 (Pattee, West Wing - 3rd Floor)

Style Manuals

Art Bulletin Style Guide
Chicago Manual of Style. 14th ed.
Z253.C5701 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, 2nd Floor - Ready Reference)
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 5th ed.
LB2369.M165 1999 (Arts & Humanities, Pattee, 2nd Floor - Ready Reference)
Strunk and White. The Elements of Style. 4th ed.
PE1408.S772 2000 (Pattee - Stacks 2A)

Many of these style manuals are available online via Writing Resources/Style Manuals.

Primary Sources

Primary sources are contemporaneous records that allow you to get as close as possible to a historical event or time period via the evidence left behind by participants or observers. (Secondary sources are works, such as books or articles, that interpret or analyze an historical event or phenomenon.)

To find primary sources in The CAT, combine your topic with these search terms: sources, correspondence, letters, diaries, documentary.

Primary source materials are often found in archives. The following resources are indexes to archival holdings. Note that the level of cataloging detail may vary widely -- most holdings are cataloged at the level of the collection, not the specific item.

Archives USA
A database indexing over 130,000 collections of archival documents from more than 5,400 repositories in the United States, including the records from the Smithsonian Institution, the National Gallery of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and other art-related institutions.

Council of European Studies: European Archives
The web site for the Council of European Studies has a section on "Archives in Europe," containing links to many archives of all types. Some of the archives have posted partial inventories of their collections; most have not.

National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC)
The Library of Congress interface for its cooperative cataloging program for archival collections. NUCMC records are also accessible via Archives USA and the RLG Union Catalog.

Smithsonian Institution Research Information System
Six searchable Smithsonian catalogs containing collections from Archives, Art Inventories, Libraries, and the Juley Photo Archives. Search the "Archives & Manuscripts" database for the records of repositories including the Archives of American Art and the Eliot Elisofen Photographic Archives of the National Museum of African Art. Smithsonian Institution records are also accessible via Archives USA.

Bibliographic records for collections of primary sources may also be found in WorldCat and the RLG Union Catalog.

Archival Resources
An index produced by the Research Libraries Group to finding aids and other descriptive information about the holdings of manuscript and archival collections in libraries and research institutions throughout the world.

RLG Cultural Materials
A portal designed by the Research Libraries Group to thousands of digitized collections including ancient maps, medieval manuscripts, handwritten letters, drawings, paintings, sound recordings, books, and moving images.

Send comments to Henry Pisciotta, Arts Librarian, at hap10@psu.edu
last updated: 4/4/06
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