Byzantine Art & Civilization

Encyclopedias of Art & History

Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (Ref DF 521 .O93 1991)
This 3-volume encyclopedia covering all fields of Byzantine studies is essential. Its articles on Byzantine history and culture will give you a better understanding of the art by explaining the cultural background to which it belongs. The articles are short, written by experts, and contain brief, but critical, bibliographies.
Dictionary of the Middle Ages (Ref D 114 .D5 1982)
Don't let the word "dictionary" in the title fool you. This multivolume set is really an encyclopedia. An authoritative and scholarly work, it will provide you with the historical background that is necessary to understand Byzantine art.
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.
Encyclopedia of Architecture: Design, Engineering, Construction (Ref NA 31 .E59 1988)
This set is comprised of scholarly articles and bibliographies on all aspects of architecture - style, design, construction, technology, economics, organizations, movements, and people.
The Oxford Companion to Christian Art and Architecture (Ref N 7830 .M87 1996)
This is a handy one-volume encyclopedia on all aspects of Christian art and architecture of all time periods. Its short articles can help you greatly in understanding the religious traditions and subject matter that were prominent in Byzantine art.
Medieval Art: A Topical Dictionary (Ref N 7850 .R67 1996)
This reference work is a quick source for identifying and understanding the subjects, stories, symbols, and themes frequently represented in early Christian, western medieval, and Byzantine art.

Guides to Iconography & Symbolism

Butler's Lives of the Saints (Ref BX 4654 .B8 1995)
Saints and Their Emblems (Ref N 8080 .D7 1971)
Saints in Art (Ref ND 1430 .G5513 2003)
Butler is the standard, classic source of biographical information on the principal saints. It is arranged by the saint's feast day. The other books describe how individual saints have been represented in works of art and are very helpful in understanding the scenes in which they are depicted. You should also consult the Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium for saints.
Gospel Figures in Art (Ref N 8030 .Z8413 2003)
Retelling the stories of figures from the New Testament, this book is illustrated with full-color reproductions of art works to illustrate how these stories have frequently been represented in the visual arts.
Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art (Ref N 7560 .H34 1979)
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)
Iconographie de l'art chrétien by Louis Réau (Ref N 7830 .R37)
Iconography of Christian Art by Gertrud Schiller (Ref N 7830 .S3513 1971)
The first of these books discusses both secular and religious iconography by broad themes or activities (e.g., envy or expulsion). The other two books are classics in the field of Christian iconography. Réau is in French, but even if your French is not that good, it is still worth consulting it. All three books deal with the variations and evolution of major iconographic themes. Bibliographical references and numerous illustrations are also provided.

Bibliographies & Literature Guides

Applied and Decorative Arts (Ref Z 5956 .A68 E47)
Stained Glass Before 1540: An Annotated Bibliography (Ref Z 5956 .G5 C38 1983)
If you are dealing with stained glass, ivory, metalwork or textiles, look here! These are great examples of scholarly bibliographies. They can save you a lot of time finding out what has been written on your topic.

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!)
IMB (International Medieval Bibliography), 1967-
This database covers articles on medieval studies published in journals, collections of essays, conference proceedings, and exhibition catalogs. It makes a worthwhile supplement to the art history literature and is particularly useful for people doing research on topics likely to be covered in journals in other fields. So, if yours is a topic that would be written about in journals in archaeology, philosophy, or religion (for example), you should check this index, too.
L'Ann´ee Philologique, 1924- (Ref Z 7016 .M35 A4)
This is the index to what has been published on the Greco-Roman and early Christian world, up to 800 A.D. It is in French, but don't let that scare you. It indexes publications in English, too. Just follow the instructions on our handout entitled "L'Ann´ee Philologique: The Thrill of Research." L'Ann´ee Philologique is now available online, where it can be searched in English; so far, only the years since 1949 have been completed. Other years will follow later.

Resources in Other Libraries

The better a researcher you are, the more likely you will want something we do not have in this library. If it is a book, look under LINK+ in OSCAR to see if any of the participating libraries in California have it. If they do, request it online, and the book should arrive here for you within 3 working days. If it is not in LINK+ , or if you need a journal article, request it through OSCAR 's interlibrary loan option, through which we can get copies of journal articles, and borrow books, from other libraries in the U.S. Although many articles are sent electronically, books and photocopies can take two weeks to get here; so, start your research early! As an alternative, we can help you find which library in the area owns a particular book or journal, and you can go there yourself to use it.

This page created by Leanna Goodwater, University Library, Santa Clara University.
Last updated January 14, 2009.