19^TH CENTURY ART

ENCYCLOPEDIAS OF ART HISTORY

The Dictionary of Art (Ref N 31 .D5 1996)

Despite its title, this multivolume reference work is really an encyclopedia. Monumental in scope, it is the largest and most comprehensive reference work on the visual arts that has ever been published. Don't start any research on art without checking this source. It is also available online as Oxford Art Online.

Encyclopedia of World Art (Ref N 31 .E533)

Although older than the encyclopedia above, this is still a useful and scholarly work. It is richly illustrated with thousands of color and black-and-white plates, which are all found together at the back of each volume.

Thames and Hudson Encyclopedia of Impressionism (Ref N 6465 .I4 D4 1990)

This concise volume offers articles on the people, the places, and the social and cultural background of the Impressionist movement.

Encyclopedia of American Art before 1914 (Ref N 6507 .E53 2000)

A spin-off from Grove's Dictionary of Art, this one-volume encyclopedia offers more in-depth coverage of U.S. art, from the colonial period to the start of World War I.

Encyclopedia of Architecture: Design, Engineering, Construction (Ref NA 31 .E59 1988)
Encyclopedia of American Architecture (Ref NA 705 .P3 1995)

The first of these encyclopedias is a multivolume work containing scholarly articles on all aspects of architecture. The second is a beautifully illustrated one-volume encyclopedia devoted to American architecture of all time periods, including the nineteenth century.

Encyclopedia of Photography (Ref TR 9 .I24 1984)
The Photography Encyclopedia (Ref TR 9 .M39 1999)
Encyclopedie Internationale des Photographes de 1839 a Nos Jours/ Photographers Encyclopaedia International 1839 to the Present (Ref TR 139 .A94 1985)

These are excellent places to begin research on photography or photographers. The Encyclopedie, which is written in both French and English, provides useful chronologies and bibliographies and is a good place to start research on a particular photographer.

REFERENCE BOOKS ON ARTISTS

Benezit, E. Dictionnaire Critique et Documentaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs (Ref N 40 .B46 1999)
Saur Allgemeines Kunstler-Lexikon (Ref N 40 .S28 1992)
Thieme, U. and F. Becker. Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Kunstler (Ref N 40 .T4)
International Dictionary of Art and Artists (Ref N 7425 .I67 1990)

Yes! Those first three are in foreign languages. So, why would you bother? Because these are the most comprehensive and scholarly dictionaries of artists. Many obscure artists who are not included in other encyclopedias can be found here. The International Dictionary of Art and Artists is in English, but it covers far fewer artists; its second volume contains one-page articles on individual works of art.

Nineteenth Century Painters and Painting: A Dictionary (Ref ND 190 .N57 1977)

This one-volume encyclopedia concentrates on European and American painters of the nineteenth century. It is especially useful for its articles on, and reproductions of representative paintings by, lesser-known artists.

Who Was Who in American Art, 1564-1975 (Ref N 6536 .W56 1999)

This book contains brief articles on deceased artists from 400 years of American art.

Biographical Dictionary of Women Artists in Europe and America since 1850 (Ref N 6757 .D86 1989)
Dictionary of Women Artists (Ref N 8354 .D53 1997)

These books provide an excellent start when doing research on women artists in a wide variety of media. The second one offers substantial articles on women artists from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Modern Arts Criticism (Ref N 6350 .M63)

This four-volume set gathers together critical commentary by leading art historians about some of the major painters, sculptors, photographers, and architects active since the mid-nineteenth century.

GUIDES TO ICONOGRAPHY & SYMBOLISM

Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art (Ref N 7560 .H34 1979b)
Dictionary of Symbols in Western Art (Ref N 7740 .C29 1995)
Symbols and Legends in Western Art (Ref N 7740 .W53)

These are exactly what they sound like, providing brief definitions for a wide range of subjects, themes, and concepts encountered in Western art. They supplement each other; so, don't pick only one!

Encyclopedia of Comparative Iconography (Ref N 7565 .E53 1998)

The articles in this encyclopedia discuss both secular and religious iconography by broad themes or activities (e.g., envy or expulsion).

Continuum Encyclopedia of Animal Symbolism in Art (Ref GR 705 .W47 2004)

If you are looking for information on animals and their symbolism in art, this book is for you. It is especially noteworthy for its comparative approach, discussing the representations and meanings of animals in diverse world cultures and in different time periods.

SCHOLARLY INDEXES

Art Index, 1929-

If you do not already know this source - - get with it! This is the basic index to journal articles since 1929 in the field of art. Once you are ready to start looking for articles on your subject, you should always look here first.

BHA (Bibliography of the History of Art), 1973-

This database covers the literature of art more broadly than Art Index, including books, exhibition catalogs, conference proceedings, and articles in journals published throughout the world. (You'll find out about lots of publications in foreign languages here, as well as in English!)

Artbibliographies Modern, 1974-

This database indexes and abstracts journal articles, books, exhibition catalogs, and other publications on modern art (since Impressionism in the late 19^th century) and on photography (since its invention in 1839).

This page created by Leanna Goodwater, University Library, Santa Clara University.
Last updated August 6, 2008.