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Researching
Art & Artists
Finding
Journal Articles
in the Indexes
Art
Abstracts - indexes articles on fine and decorative arts &
architecture in 200 major American and international art journals
(1984-present). Consult the paper version, Art Index
(ZN1.A78), for earlier articles.
Bibliography
of the History of Art - a rich, scholarly resource, indexing
international journals, catalogs, dissertations, and museum publications.
Covers art history back to the 4th century, including urban design
& architecture.
ArtBibliographies Modern - Indexes journal articles, essays
in books, and exhibition catalogs. Focuses on 20th century art
and covers painting, sculpture, video, photography, design, performance,
etc. (ZN1.A763 - Print edition)
Encyclopedias
Chilvers,
Ian. A Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Art. New
York: Oxford University Press, 1998. (REF N6490.C53 1998). Updates
The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Art.
Dictionary
of Art. New York: Grove, 1996. 34 v. (REF N31.D5 1996).
This new and long-awaited source is a thorough and authoritative
source on all periods of art. It contans particularly substantive
and helpful synopses on areas of non-Western art. Well illustrated.
Encyclopedia
of Aesthetics. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
4v. (REF BH56.E53 1998).
Encyclopedia of World Art. New York:
McGraw-Hill, 1957-83. 16v. (REF N31.E56). Scholarly,
well-respected art encyclopedia with signed articles, extensive
bibliographies and many plates. Includes biographies of major
artists.
Oxford
Companion to Art. Osborne, Harold, ed. Oxford: Clarendon,
1970. (N33.O98). Standard art reference source containing
many brief biographies of major artists and explanations of artistic
movements and styles. Bibliographies included.
Chilvers,
Ian and Harold Osborne, eds. The Oxford Dictionary of Art.
new ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. (REF N33.O93 1997).
Updates the Oxford Companion (above), but is so
reworked that both publications are now of value.
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Dictionaries
& Bibliographies
General
Allgemeines
Kunstlerlexikon: Die Bildenden Kunstler Aller Zeiten und Volker.
Leipzig: E.A. Seemann, 1983- . (REF N40.A63). Also known as Saur.
Updates Thieme-Becker (see below).
Benezit,
Emmanuel. Dictionnaire Critique et Documentaire des Peintres,
Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs[...] Paris: Grund,
1999. 14v. (N40.B465 1999).
Often referred to as Benezit, it contains
entries for all categories of artists worldwide, from 50 BC to
the date of publication. Entries provide biographical data and
list major works and awards. Some entries contain monograms and
sale prices for works.
Freitag,
Wolfgang. Art Books: A Basic Bibliography of Monographs
on Artists. 2nd ed. New York: Garland, 1997. (REF N40.F73
1997). Includes artists in all categories and some major architects.
An excellent source for identifying catalogues raisonné
on artists (note CR notation following entries).
Havlice,
Patricia Pate. Index to Artistic Biography.
Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow, 1973 2v. plus supplement. (REF N40.H388).
An index to 64 biographical dictionaries of artists
from all eras and in all media.
International
Directory of Art and Artists. Vinson, James, ed. Chicago:
St. James Press, 1990. 2v. (REF N7425.I58 1990).
Major artists and art topics from the 13th-20th
c. Biographical sketch, collections, bibliographies, and a critical
essay for each entry.
Mallett,
Daniel Trowbridge. Index of Artists: International-Biographical.
New York: PeterSmith, 1935. Supplement. (N40.M253 1948).
Covers approximately 27,000 artists. Entries give
dates, nationality, and references to 24 general and 957 selected
biographical sources. Dated source, but good for obscure artists,
particularly American.
Patin,
Thomas and Jennifer McLerran. Artwords: A Glossary of Contemporary
Art Theory. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1997.
(REF N71.P32 1997).
Defines terms used to discuss visual arts in modern
criticism. Substantive explanations. Tends to focus on modern
art.
Thieme,
Ulrich and Becker, Felix, eds. Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden
Kunstler von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart[...] Leipzig:
Seemann, 1907-59. 37v. (REF N40.T433).
Often referred to as Thieme-Becker, this
comprehensive dictionary serves as a biographical source for artists
in all categories of fine arts. Includes a bibliography of older
publications and an index of translations of commonly-used German
terms.
Vollmer,
Hans. Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Kunstler des XX
Jahrhunderts. Leipzig: Seemann, 1953-1962. 6v. (REF N40.V924).
A companion set to "Thieme-Becker," published
in the same format. Covers international artists born after 1870.
Wright,
Christopher, comp. The World's Master Paintings: From the
Early Renaissance to the Present Day. New York: Routledge,
1991. 2v. (REF ND40.W75 1991).
Extensive listing of works and holding institutions,
as well as biographical information and brief bibliographies for
major artists. Arranged by century, by institution, and by title
of work.
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Modern
and Contemporary Art
Art
Diary International. Milan, Italy: G Politi. (REF N50.A77). Annual. Contains basic directory address and phone information
for artists. Requires knowing what city an artist is from, but
can provide an essential contact point for little known contemporary
artists.
Atkins,
Robert. Art Speak: A Guide to Contemporary Ideas, Movements,
and Buzzwords. New York: Abbeville, 1990. (REF N6490.A87 1990). Defines terminology of the contemporary art world. See Atkins,
below, for a broader terminology of modern art dating back to
the mid-nineteenth century.
Atkins,
Robert. Art Spoke: A Guide to Modern Ideas, Movements, and
Buzzwords, 1848-1944. New York: Abbeville, 1993. (REF N6447.A85
1993).
Terminology of the modern art movement defined,
back to its early years. See Atkins, above, for contemporary art
terminology. Illustrations included; entries on artists are not.
Contemporary
Artists. 5th ed. New York: St. James Press, 2002.
(N6490.C6567 2002). Provides information on more than a thousand
international artists, active since World War II. Entries include
biography, list of exhibitions, location of collections, and a
list of publications by and about the artist.
Contemporary
Designers. 3rd ed. Detroit: St. James Press, c1997. (REF NK1390.C655
1997). Of the same series as Contemporary Artists, provides
similar information on designers.
Dictionary
of International Contemporary Artists. Italy: Flash Art
Books, 1995. (REF N40.D53 1995). Covers approximately four hundred
internationally recognized contemporary artists.
Marks,
Claude. World Artists 1950-1980. New York:
HW Wilson, 1984. (REF N6489.M37 1984). Biographies of 312 major
artists in the fields of painting, sculpture, and graphic arts.
Brief bibliographies.
Robertson,
Jack S. Twentieth-Century Artists on Art: An Index to Writings,
Statements, and Interviews by Artists, Architects, and Designers.
New York: G K Hall, 1996. (REF NX456.R59 1996)
Who's
Who in Art. London: Art Trade, [1927- ]. (REF N40.W628).
Primarily British, this source contains biographies
of leading artists from all fields. Appendix of monograms included.
World
Artists 1980-1990. New York: HW Wilson, 1991. (REF N6489.W67
1991). Continues the work by Claude Marks, above.
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American
Art and Artists
Cummings,
Paul. Dictionary of Contemporary American Artists.
6th ed. NY: St. Martin's Press, 1994. (REF N6536.C971 1994)
Directory
to the Bicentennial Inventory of American Paintings Executed Before
1914. Washington, DC: Arno Press for the Smithsonian
Institution, 1976. (REF ND205.S6 1976).
Lists the artists included in the Bicentennial
Inventory,with the number of paintings included by each artist.
Useful source for identifying the Smithsonian as a possible point
of information for lesser known American artists.
Falk,
Peter Hastings, ed. Who Was Who in American Art.
Madison, CT: Sound View, 1985. (N6512.F26 1985).
Compilation of the biographical entries from the
American Art Annuals, 1898-1934, and its successor,
Who's Who in American Art, for 1935-1947.
Fielding,
Mantle. Mantle Fielding's Dictionary of American Painters,
Sculptors, and Engravers. 2nd ed. rev. Opitz, Glenn B.,
ed. Poughkeepsie, NY: Apollo, 1986. (REF N6536.F459 1986).
Approximately 10,000 entries covering artists
from the 18th-20th c.
Samuels,
Peggy and Harold. Illustrated Biographical Encyclopedia
of Artists of the American West. New York: Doubleday,
1976. (REF N8214.5.U6.S25).
Smith,
Ralph Clifton. A Biographical Index of American Artists.
Detroit: Gale, 1976. (REF N6536.S6 1976). Entries for about 4,700 North
American artists including dates, media, and a few reference sources
for further information.
Who's
Who in American Art. 21st ed. New York: Bowker, 1986-
. (N6536.W628 - Latest on REF).
Brief biographies for over 6500 individuals, including
artists, educators, museum professionals, scholars and librarians,
and art critics.
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Women
Artists
Anderson,
Janet A. Women in the Fine Arts: A Bibliography and Illustration
Guide. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1991. (REF N8354.A47
1991).
Includes references to many illustrations of works.
Arranged by publication type.
Chiarmonte,
Paula. Women Artists in the United States: A Selective Bibliography
and Resource Guide on the Fine and Decorative Arts, 1750-1986.
Boston: GK Hall, 1990. (REF ZN6536.C45 1990).
A current, critical bibliography with approximately
4000 entries. Includes all types of publications and some archival
materials.
Dictionary
of Women Artists. Delia Gaze, ed. London ; Chicago: Fitzroy
Dearborn Publishers, 1997. 2v. (REF N8354.D53 1997). Detailed
biographies, selected exhibitions, and bibliographies for artists
from the Middle Ages to the present, from Europe, America, and
Australasia.
Dunford,
Penny. A Biographical Dictionary of Women Artists in Europe
and America Since 1850. New York: Harvester Wheatsheaf,
1990. (REF N6757.D86 1990).
Short biographies of artists and women associated
with the arts. Some works and bibliographical references listed.
Plates and illustrations.
Harris,
Ann Sutherland. Women Artists: 1500-1900. New York:
Knopf, 1977. (N6350.H35 1976).
Information on North American and European painters
and graphic artists. Entries include bibliographies, color plates,
and locations of collections and exhibitions.
McCracken,
Penny. Women Artists and Designers in Europe Since 1800:
An Annotated Bibliography. New York: GK Hall, 1998. 2v.
(REF N6757.M33 1998)
North American Women Artists of the Twentieth Century :
A Biographical Dictionary. Jules Heller and Nancy
Heller, eds. New York : Garland, 1995. (REF N6503.N67 1995).
Biographical information and brief bibliographies
for artists born pre-1960, who lived and worked primarily in the
U.S., Canada, or Mexico.
Petteys,
Chris. Dictionary of Women Artists. Boston: GK Hall,
1985. (REF N43.P47 1985).
Contains 21,000 biographical entries for women
artists throughout the world who were born before 1900.
Rubenstein,
Charlotte S. American Women Artists From Early Indian Times
to the Present. Boston: GK Hall, 1982. (REF N6505.R8 1982)
Tufts,
Eleanor. American Women Artists, Past and Present: A Selected
Bibliographic Guide. New York: Garland, 1984-1989.
2v. (REF ZN6505.T83 1984).
Over 1200 entries, some appearing in both volumes.
Vol. 2 includes artists born in the 1950s, fiber artists, quilters,
and photographers. Arranged by artist name.
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Other Topics
Cederholm,
Theresa Dickason, comp. and ed. Afro-American Artists: A
Bio-Bibliographical Directory. Boston: Boston Public Library,
1973. (REF N6538.N5.C43). A rich and vast array of African American
artists, including places of exhibition, collections holding their
works, and sources for further information on the artist.
Fleming,
John. The Penguin Dictionary of Decorative Arts.
London : Allen Lane, 1977. (REF NK30.F55 1977)
Igoe,
Lynn Moody with James Igoe. 250 Years of Afro-American Art:
An Annotated Bibliography. New York: Bowker, 1981. (REF ZN6538.N5.I3). Includes sections for basic bibliography, subject bibliography,
and artist bibliography, as well as appendices on anonymous artists
and group artwork.
Jervis,
Simon. The Penguin Dictionary of Design and Designers.
London: Allen Lane, 1984. (REF NK1165.J474 1984)
Lester,
Patrick D. The Biographical Directory of Native American
Painters. Tulsa, OK: Sir Publications, 1995 (N6536.L47
1995)
Munsterberg,
Hugo. Dictionary of Chinese and Japanese Art. New
York: Hacker Art Books, 1981. (REF N7337.M853 1981). A dictionary
of Chinese and Japanese artists and terms related to Chinese and
Japanese art.
Murray,
Peter and Linda. The Oxford Companion to Christian Art and
Architecture. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.
(REF N7830.M87 1996). Artists, terms, and illustrations in encyclopedic
fashion. Another trusted resource in the Oxford Companion series.
Oxford
Companion to the Decorative Arts. Harold Osborne, ed.
Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1975. (REF NK30.O93)
Reid,
Jane Davidson. Oxford Guide to Classical Mythology in the
Arts 1300-1990s. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.
2v. (REF NX650.M9.R45 1993)
Riggs,
Thomas, ed. St. James Guide to Black Artists. New
York: St. James Press, 1997. (REF N40.S78 1997). Biographical
and career information on some 400 African American visual artists.
Includes some images of artworks and photographs of the artists.
Sellen,
Betty-Carol. 20th Century American Folk, Self Taught, and
Outsider Art. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 1994.
(REF NK805.S46 1993)
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Additional
Sources
Chicago
Art Institute. Ryerson Library. Index to Art Periodicals.
Boston: G K Hall, 1983. 11v. (REF ZN1.A1.C5)
Frick
Art Reference Library. Original Index to Art Periodicals.
Boston: G K Hall, 1983. 12v (REF ZN1.A1.F7)
Metropolitan
Museum of Art. Library Catalog of the Metropolitan Museum
of Art. Boston: G K Hall, 1980. 48v. Supplements.
(REF Z881.N6624 1980)
Museum
of Modern Art. Catalog of the Library of the Museum of Modern
Art. Boston: G K Hall, 1976. 14v. (REF Z5939.N4)
Archives
of American Art. Manuscript Collections of the Archives
of American Art. Wilmington, DE: Scholarly Resources,
1980. 10v. Supplement. (REF ZN6505.A7.A72 1980)
Archives
of American Art. The Card Catalog of the Oral History Collections
of the Archives of American Art. Wilmington, DE: Scholarly
Resources, 1984. (N6536.A73 1984)
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Research
Guides
Arntzen,
Etta. Guide to the Literature of Art History. Chicago:
American Library Association, 1980. (REF ZN380.A7). Known as "Arntzen
and Rainwater," the standard scholarly guide to published materials
in art history. Continues and updates Chamberlin.
Chamberlin,
Mary W. Guide to Art Reference Books. Chicago: American
Library Association, 1959. (REF ZN5300.C443). The first major
research guide to the field of art history published in English.
Still useful, especially for older sources. Updated by Arntzen
and Rainwater.
Ehresmann,
Donald L. Fine Arts: A Bibliographic Guide to Basic Reference
Works, Histories, and Handbooks. 3rd ed. Englewood, CO:
Libraries Unlimited, 1990 (REF ZN7425.E47 1990). Part of a larger
series that includes architecture and decorative arts, this work
is covers art history sources published between 1830-1988. All
entries are annotated.
Jones,
Lois Swan. Art Information: Research Methods and Resources.
3rd ed. Dubuque, IO: Kendall Hunt, 1990. (N85.J64 1990).
Guide to research in art history and the visual
arts. Includes information on databases and extensive bibliographic
citations.
Sheehy,
Eugene Paul. Guide to Reference Books. 10th ed.
Chicago: American Library Association, 1986. (REF Z1035.1.S43 1986) and Balay, Robert. Supplement to the 10th ed.,
1992. The standard guide to reference publications, with a substantial
section on the arts and related fields.
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