Research Guides: Art History: Get Started

Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, and Handbooks

Oxford Reference [OXFORD] This link opens in a new window
Reference database that provides background information on a wide range of topics, particularly in the humanities.
230+ in-depth, specialized titles from Oxford University Presss award-winning Encyclopedias and Companions, and a selection of partner publishers scholarly works.
Britannica Academic This link opens in a new window
Consists of a fully searchable and browse-able, authoritative references, including Britannica's latest article database, and articles not found in the print Britannica.
Contains both the Encyclopedia Britannica and the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, as well as magazine and journal articles written by Pulitzer Prize winners and leading experts, a world atlas, country data, and timelines.

Continuously updated and enhanced on a daily basis with new articles, revisions, and related Internet sites.

The Art Atlas
Call Number: REF ATLAS STAND N5300 .A77 2008
An invaluable guide to world art from prehistory to the present, complete with over 600 maps and illustrations and a searchable CD.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms
Call Number: Oxford Ebook
From abstract art to woodcuts, and the Baroque Revival to ziggurats, this highly readable dictionary is the ideal reference source for students of Art and all related subjects, for gallery visitors, and for all people interested in the visual arts.
From Abacus to Zeus : A Handbook of Art History This new illustrated glossary and iconographical guide presents a wealth of information bearing on the history of the visual arts. Here are concise definitions and explanations for each of the most common terms encountered in the study of art history. Dr. Pierce has included entries on art media, techniques, processes, and principles, including color terminology, perspective, and principles of architectural construction, among other topics. In addition, individual sections are devoted to the iconography of the most frequently represented mythological and Christian subjects. From Abacus to Zeus is designed especially to accompany H. W. Janson's outstanding History of Art in art history, humanities, and art appreciation courses. Almost all entries are keyed to figures and colorplates in the Janson text, and many of the line drawings in the Handbook are based on works reproduced in Janson's book. The Handbook's broad range of coverage, clear explanations, and convenient dictionary form, make it an ideal reference work for independent study as well.
Call Number: REF N33 .P5 2001
The Yale dictionary of art and artists This reference work deals with all aspects of Western art from 1300 to the present day. It provides information on painters, sculptors, and graphic artists, technical processes, terminology, theory, schools, movements, patrons and collecting, and much more.
Call Number: N33 .L353 2000

Symbols and Iconography

Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art The understanding and enjoyment of a work of art depends as much on the story it depicts as on the artist’s execution of it. But what were once biblical or classical commonplaces are not so readily recognizable today. This book relates in a succinct and readable way the themes, sacred and secular, on which the repertoire of Western art is based. Combined here in a single volume are religious, classical, and historical themes, figures of moral allegory, and characters from romantic poetry that appeared throughout paintings and sculpture in Western art before and after the Renaissance. More than just a dictionary, this text places these subjects in their narrative, historical, or mythological context and uses extensive cross-referencing to enhance and clarify the meanings of these themes for the reader. The definitive work by which others are compared, this volume has become an indispensable handbook for students and general appreciators alike. This wholly redesigned second edition includes a new insert of images chosen by the author, as well as a new preface and index to highlight the ideas, beliefs, and social and religious customs that form the background of much of this subject matter.
Call Number: REF N7740.H35 1974
Encyclopedia of Comparative Iconography
REF N7560 .E53 1998
Symbols and Allegories in Art by Matilde Battistini
Call Number: N7560.G9 S5 2005
ISBN: 0892368187
Publication Date: 2005-05-01
The Oxford Companion to Christian Art and Architecture
Call Number: N7830 .M87 1996

Start Your Search

Online Reference

Grove Art Online [OXFORD] This link opens in a new window
Core reference source for fine arts. Searchable images made available through Oxford's partnerships with museums, galleries, and arts organizations.

Why Use Reference Sources?

Reference sources include encyclopedias, handbooks, and dictionaries. They are a great place to begin your research, since they can help with the following:

Offer ideas for possible research topics
Give you background information on your topic
Define unfamiliar terms
Suggest keywords to use when searching for books and articles
Point you to books and articles on your topic, via "works cited" lists

Picking a Topic

Use these tips to help you choose a research topic:

To brainstorm ideas to research, try browsing:
- News in your subject area. (Google sociology news to find websites to browse.)
- The table of contents of a book or encyclopedia in your subject area.
Do some initial searching on one or more topic ideas, using our main library search box or Google.
Refine your topic based on what you find:
- Maybe you found a slight variation or different direction you want to go in.
- Tons of results? Consider narrowing your topic to focus on a smaller aspect of it.
- Hardly any results? You may need to broaden your topic and make it less specific.
In the end, choose something you're interested in.

If you want to discuss topic ideas, stop by the Reference Desk to chat with a librarian.

General Search Tips

These search tips work in our library databases and Library Catalog:

Combine keywords using AND and OR.
- Use AND for searching different ideas within your topic. E.g. youth AND homelessness
- Use OR for searching with synonyms of your keywords. E.g. (youth OR teen) AND homelessness
Abbreviate words with multiple endings using an asterisk (*). E.g. homeless* to search both homeless and homelessness
Search specific phrases using quotation marks. E.g. "Runaway and Homeless Youth Act"
Change your search terms around to get different results.

Primary vs. Secondary Sources

It is not always easy to discern the difference between primary, secondary, and tertiary resources. The definition of "primary sources" varies across different fields of study. Ask your professor if you have any questions about what will be accepted as a primary source for a particular assignment.

For details on this distinction, see this chart.