Library Guides: Art History: Background Information

New Resources

Artforum Archive This link opens in a new window
ProQuest's Artforum Archive offers electronic access to the backfile of Artforum magazine (later Artforum International), the premier magazine for international contemporary art, from its first issue in 1962 to 2020. Artforum has covered the full range of contemporary art in all media from painting, sculpture, and installation, through to body art, video/audio art, and performance art. It also covers adjacent cultural forms such as architecture, film, fashion, photography, and music. The content is digitized as full-page, color images, with searchable text.

Encyclopedias and Dictionaries on the History of Art

Oxford Art Online

Oxford Art Online provides access to

Grove Art
The foremost scholarly art encyclopedia, updated regularly and covering global art and architecture from prehistory to present day. Includes peer-reviewed articles contributed by scholars from around the world, accompanied by images, bibliographies, and links to additional resources.

Note: Limited to 8 simultaneous users

Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new window

Oxford University Press resources that complement Oxford Art Online:

Oxford Bibliographies Online This link opens in a new window

Art History by Jonathan Harris
Call Number: ONLINE
ISBN: 9780203627198
Publication Date: 2006

Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
The Timeline is a chronological, geographical, and thematic exploration of the history of art from around the world, as illustrated by the Museum's collection. First launched in 2000, the Timeline extends from prehistory to the present day. The Museum's curators, conservators, and educators research and write the Timeline, that continues to expand in scope and depth and reflect the most up-to-date scholarship.

Biography in Context This link opens in a new window
Offers authoritative reference content alongside magazine and journal articles, primary sources, videos, audio podcasts, and images. Covering a vast array of people from historically significant figures to present-day newsmakers, it’s continuously updated to ensure that students have access to the very latest information.

Art: Key Contemporary Thinkers
Call Number: N66 .A76 2007 - 2nd Floor
ISBN: 9781845203191
Publication Date: 2007
Art Books: A Basic Bibliography of Monographs on Artists
Call Number: Z 5938 .F73 1997 - 1st Floor
ISBN: 0824033264
Publication Date: 1997
The Complete Dictionary of Symbols
Call Number: GR 931 .C65 2005
ISBN: 0811847675
Publication Date: 2005
Dictionary of Art and Artists
Call Number: N 31 .M8 1997 - 2nd Floor
ISBN: 0140513000
Publication Date: 1998
Dictionary of Christian Art
Call Number: N 7825 .M87 2004 - 2nd Floor
ISBN: 0198609663
Publication Date: 2004
Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art
Call Number: N7560 .H34 2008 - 2nd Floor
ISBN: 0813343933
Publication Date: 2007
The Dent Dictionary of Symbols in Christian Art by Jennifer Speake
Call Number: N 7825 .S68 1994 - 2nd Floor
ISBN: 0460861387
Publication Date: 1995
The Penguin Concise Dictionary of Art History
Call Number: N 5300 .F64 2000 - 2nd Floor
ISBN: 9780670100156
Publication Date: 2000
Understanding Illuminated Manuscripts by Michelle P. Brown
Call Number: ND 2889 .B76 1994 6th floor
ISBN: 0892362170
Publication Date: 1994
What is a florilegium? What is an incipit? What is batarde script? This book--part of the Museum's popular Looking at series--offers definitions of these and numerous other techniques, processes, and materials used in medieval illuminated manuscripts.

Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance
Call Number: online
Provides up-to-date information about theatre and performance from ancient Greek theatre to the latest developments around the world.
The Oxford Companion to Theatre and Performance
Covers styles and movements, organizations, regions and traditions with a focus on biographies of actors, playwrights, directors, and designers.

Art History Basics

Smarthistory
Open access videos and essays on art and cultural history from the Paleolithic era to the 21st century that include the art of Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Includes signed essays by art historians, curators, and archaeologists and videos are unscripted conversations between experts recorded on location in front of the original work of art or architecture.
Art History Basics (Khan Academy)
Open access multimedia resource designed as a dynamic enhancement for the traditional art history textbook. Includes video, images, text, timelines, and other Web 2.0 possibilities for the open collaboration in study of art history. (Khan Academy)