Art History Bibliography and Library Methods

Art Encyclopedias

Art 600

GENERAL

1. The dictionary of art (1996) 34 v. N31.D5 Art reference

Largest and most comprehensive work in the field of art history provides inclusive chronological and geographic coverage. Roster of contributors numbered in the thousands. Contains relatively brief, signed articles on many different subjects, rather than a few monograph-length articles like the EWA (#2). Most bibliographies, at the ends of articles, current through about 1993. Particularly good for biographical information on all but the most obscure artists. Index volume. Available online in a web version via SUL Databases list.

2. Encyclopedia of world art (1968) 15 v. 2 supplement vols. (1983, 1987) N31.E533 Art reference

Covers all periods, all geographic areas. Heavily illustrated. Long, signed articles, but good subject index (v. 15) let's you get into them to isolate small bits of information. Excellent coverage of art movements, periods in art history, and art in particular geographic areas, but most useful feature is probably the articles on special subjects (e.g. "The Picturesque," "Perspective," "Comic Art and Caricature," "Dealing and Dealers," "Tragedy and the Sublime"). Hundreds of artist biographies. Excellent, full bibliographies at the ends of articles. Supplements update information in some of the subject areas covered in the original set, have their own indexes.

3. Lexikon der Kunst (2nd ed., 1994) 7 v. N33.L45 Art reference

The most comprehensive of the smaller art encyclopedias, with coverage of different aspects of art theory, iconographical themes, architectural features, and city planning, in addition to the usual surveys of places and periods. East German editorial direction resulted in considerable bias in favor of East European and Third World topics.

4. McGraw-Hill dictionary of art (1969) 5 v. N33.M23 Art reference

Contains signed articles on the art of all periods and places. Particularly useful for its full biographical entries on French and Italian artists and also for its coverage of architectural monuments. Brief bibliographical data at the ends of all but the briefest articles. Well illustrated.

5. The Oxford companion to art (1970) N33.O9 Art reference

The ultimate in concision--all art history gets compressed into a one-volume reference work. Brief articles on artists, art forms, periods, etc. Topics in British art tend to get fuller treatment.

6. The Oxford dictionary of art (New ed., 1997) N33.O93 1997 Art reference

Revises and updates much of the coverage in #5.

7. Praeger encyclopedia of art (1971) 5 v. N33.P68 Art reference

Covers art of all periods and places, but seems strongest on 18th-20th-c. Europe. Articles not as pithy as those in McGraw-Hill (#3), but bibliographies more substantial. Many excellent small illustrations in color and b & w.

back to top

PAINTING

8. Kindlers Malerei Lexikon (1971) 6 v. ND35.K5 Art reference

Basically biographical. International coverage, but German, Austrian, and Swiss painters get most space. Each article contains a chronological list of the painter's most important work, including current (i.e. 1970) locations. Most articles include a signature or monogram facsimile. V.6 contains non-biographical articles on such subjects as painting technique, periods, schools, movements, etc. Also has topographical index of all collections mentioned in the artist entries with lists of the paintings in them.

ARCHITECTURE

9. Fleming, J., H. Honour, & N. Pevsner. A dictionary of architecture (1975) NA31.F55 1975 Art reference

Short biographies of architects, definitions of terms, and longer articles on the architecture of major countries, including those of the Far East. Some bibliographical data.

10. Portoghesi, P., ed. Dizionario enciclopedico di architettura e urbanistica (1969) 6 v. NA31.D58 Art reference

Most comprehensive recent encyclopedic work on architecture, covering all periods in architectural history, places of architectural significance, types of buildings, architectural terms. Includes many signed, scholarly articles, much bibliographical data, and many small but serviceable illustrations and plans. Biographical articles on major architects and planners contain annotated chronological lists of their most important works.

11. Sturgis, R., ed. A dictionary of architecture and building (1902) 3 v. NA31.S84 Art reference

Once the standard encyclopedia of architecture, covering major architects, styles, periods, countries, buildings, and terms. Can still be useful for explanations of traditional architectural and building terms. Illustrated mostly with elaborate line drawings.

12. Wasmuths Lexikon der Baukunst (1937) 5 v. NA31.W3 Art reference

Another old standard encyclopedia of architecture, covering major architects, styles, periods, countries, terms, and subjects relating to the social and legal aspects of architecture and building. Longer articles signed and accompanied by bibliographical data. Well illustrated with photographs, plans and diagrams. Some articles in Supplement (v.5, published in 1937) reflect Nazi ideology.

back to top

DECORATIVE ARTS

13. Fleming, J. & H. Honour. The Penguin dictionary of decorative arts. (2nd ed., 1989) NK30.F55 1977 Art reference

Contains concise articles, mainly biographies of artists and designers, histories of firms, manufacturers, and their products, and definitions of terms. Brief bibliographical data at the ends of many articles.

14. Jervis, S. The Penguin dictionary of design and designers (1984) NK1165.J474 1984 Art reference

Mostly biographies of designers and design theorists from all periods and places, and histories of designers' guilds and associations. Also includes entries on important architectural and design books and journals and their influence.

15. Lewis, P. & G. Darley. Dictionary of ornament (1986) NK1165.L48 1986 Art reference

Brief articles on periods in the history of design, terms, motifs from all geographic areas, and the lives of designers and architects. Particularly good on early design texts and illustrations and their influence on later artists.

16. The Oxford companion to decorative arts (1975) NK30.O93 Art reference

Coverage confined to "those arts which are made to serve a practical purpose but are nevertheless prized for the quality of their workmanship and the beauty of their appearance"--ceramics, textiles, furniture, metalwork, the book arts, etc. Contains relatively long articles on the art forms themselves, biographies of artists and designers, definitions of terms.

17. Ware, D. & M. Stafford. An illustrated dictionary of ornament (1974) NK1165.S72 1975 Art reference

Contains very brief definitions of terms and motifs from all periods and cultures. Illustrated with helpful line drawings.

back to top

PHOTOGRAPHY

18. International Center of Photography. Encyclopedia of photography (1984) TR9.I24 1984 Art reference

Covers the history of the development of photographic equipment and processes, lives of important photographers and photographic inventors, history of the aesthetic and expressive applications of photography, and technical terms.

CHINA AND JAPAN

19. Munsterberg, Hugo. Dictionary of Chinese and Japanese Art (1981) N7337 M87 Art Reference

Terms defined include schools of painting, art making techniques, painters and other artists from several historical periods, emperors, important geographic regions for the production of art, etc. Includes a bibliography of reference books on Chinese and Japanese art.

GERMANY

20. Reallexikon zur deutschen Kunstgeschichte (1937- ) N6861.S45 Art reference

Excruciatingly detailed and scholarly encyclopedia of German art, which is defined as the art of areas in which German language and culture are predominant. Also, when covering themes, movements, building types, etc., that cut across geographic boundaries, it tends to trace their development even if the latter moves outside German cultural territory. Particular strengths include Christian and Jewish liturgical objects, architectural features and building types, and secular iconography. Profuse bibliographical documentation. Murky illustrations. Very slow publishing progress--only into G's.

UNITED STATES

21. Britannica encyclopedia of American art (1973) N6505.B73 Art reference

Useful mainly for its well-written biographical articles on U.S. artists and architects. Seductive color illustrations.

CLASSICAL/ANCIENT

22. Enciclopedia dell'arte antica; classica e orientale (1966) 7 v. "Atlas" & supplement vol. (1973) N31.E48 Art reference

Comprehensive, scholarly encyclopedia of ancient art which provides chronological coverage from the prehistoric cultures of northern Europe down to 500 A.D., including quite a lot of material on Early Christian art. Concentrates on the classical period in the Mediterranean world, but topographical coverage ranges from Roman Britain across Europe and
through the Near East to ancient India. Signed articles on archaeological sites, iconographical themes, art forms, and individual artists. Full bibliographical data. Excellent illustrations, plans. "Atlas" volume is a corpus of well-known series of drawings of ancient monuments by early antiquarians and historians. Supplement volume updates articles in main set and provides some entries for new discoveries and research.

23. The Oxford classical dictionary (3rd ed., 1996) DE5.O9 1996 General Reference

Brief but scholarly articles covering major figures, literature, mythology, philosophy, religion, science, geography, etc. of the ancient world, including Greece, Rome, and the ancient Near East. Short bibliographies.

24. Pauly, A. & G. Wissowa. Paulys Real-Encyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft (1978) 49 v. DE5.P33 General Reference

The standard scholarly German encyclopedia covering the whole field of classical studies, including long, signed articles on literature, history, biography, archaeological sites, etc. Lots of bibliography. Extremely confusing arrangement caused by more-or-less concurrent publication (which began in 1894) of the work in three separate series: A-Q, R-Z, and supplement volumes. Any supplement volume can contain material updating any of the articles in the main sets. Consequently, H. Gärtner's subject index (DE5-P331, General Reference) to all the articles in the supplement volumes can be very helpful.

back to top

EARLY CHRISTIAN

25. Cabrol, F., ed. Dictionnaire d'archéologie chrétienne et de liturgie (1953) 15 v. BR95.C2 General Reference

Enormous encyclopedic work covering the history of early Christianity. Contains long, signed articles, accompanied by line illustrations and bibliographies, on the art and architecture, iconography, symbols, epigraphy, paleography, numismatics, liturgy, rites, and ceremonies of the early church to the time of Charlemagne.

BYZANTINE

26. The Oxford dictionary of Byzantium (1991) 3 v. DS521.O93 1991 General Reference

Provides scholarly articles on traditional subjects such as art and architecture, agriculture, literature, medicine, science, and theology. Also covers facets of everyday life--baths, clocks, padlocks, etc.--and has many entries on social history topics, like childbirth, food and diet, marriage and the family, slavery, and so on. Most entries equipped with bibliographies.

27. Reallexikon zur byzantinischen Kunst (1966- ) N6250.W4 Art reference

Very scholarly and carefully produced encyclopedia of all aspects of Byzantine art and architecture, including sites, iconographical themes, art forms, notable figures. Articles are accompanied by line drawings, plans, and much bibliographical data. So far, into the M's.

MEDIEVAL

28. Dictionary of the Middle Ages (1982) 13 v. D114.O5 1982 General Ref.

29. Lexikon des Mittelalters (1977- ) AE27.L4 General Reference

Both provide detailed, scholarly, interdisciplinary coverage of the Middle Ages, including historical events; social, legal, and religious aspects of medieval life; important works of literary and visual art; people, including artists and patrons. Both provide good bibliographical data at the ends of articles. V.13 of the Dictionary is a subject index. The Lexikon is still in progress, having recently reached the W's. Two handy one-volume encyclopedic treatments of the Middle Ages are A. Grabois, The illustrated encyclopedia of medieval civilization, 1980 (CB353-G7, General Reference), and J. Dahmus, Dictionary of medieval civilization, 1984 (CB351-D24-1984, General Reference).

30. Enciclopedia dell'Arte Medievale (1991- ) N5965.E5 1991 Art reference

Longish, scholarly articles on people, sites, individual art works, and concepts in medieval European art. Thorough bibliographies of books and articles in all European languages. Heavily illustrated. Ten volumes completed, into the S's.

back to top

RENAISSANCE

31. Avery, C. The New Century Italian Renaissance encyclopedia (1972) DG533.N4 General Reference

Useful not so much for its treatment of Renaissance art, but rather for its convenient, concise coverage of peripheral figures--politicians, patrons, writers--and historical events. Similar works are J. Hale, A concise encyclopaedia of the Italian Renaissance, 1981 (DG445.C66, General Reference), and I. Rachum, The Renaissance: an illustrated encyclopedia, 1979 (CB361.R26, General Reference).

MODERN

32. Chilvers, I. Dictionary of twentieth-century art (1998) N6490.C48 1998 Art reference

Most up-to-date of the 20th-c. dictionaries, with especially good coverage of critics, curators, and museums.

33. Oxford companion to twentieth-century art (1981) N6490.O92 Art reference

Excellent, concise coverage of 20th-c. artists, groups, and movements.

34. Phaidon dictionary of twentieth-century art (1973) N6490.P46 Art reference

Particularly useful for well-written biographies of modern artists and concise, reliable treatment of 20th-c. movements.

MISCELLANEOUS

35. Glaister, G. Glaister's glossary of the book (2nd ed., 1979) Z118.G55 1979 Art reference

Concise entries cover book and binding history, evolution of publishing procedure, history of type design, and biographies of printers, designers, binders, and collectors.

36. Johns Hopkins guide to literary theory and criticism (1994) Z6514.C97J64 1994 Art reference

Concise articles on terminology, methodology, and major figures.

37. The Oxford companion to gardens (1986) SB469.25.O95 1986 Art reference

Contains concise entries covering garden history in various geographic areas to about 1900, significant trends in garden design, garden concepts and technical terms, individual gardens of historic interest, and influential garden designers and patrons.

38. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church (3rd ed., 1997) BR95.O8 1997 General Reference

Concise scholarly articles, with excellent bibliographies, cover church history, Christian doctrinal development, biographies of ecclesiastics and scholars, definitions of terms and customs, etc.

39. Princeton encyclopedia of classical sites (1976) DE59.P7 Art reference

Includes only sites inhabited at some point between 750 B.C. and 500 A.D., excluding those that were exclusively Early Christian. Provides geographic coverage from Britain into the Middle East, including North Africa. Each entry gives a short history of the site, an account of what excavations have taken place there, and what the major results have been. Extensive bibliographic data.

40. Wigoder, G., ed. Illustrated dictionary and concordance of the Bible (1986) BS440.I36 1986 Art reference

Concise entries for every person and place mentioned in the Bible. Supposedly reflects information from latest archaeological excavations and research. Many illustrations and maps.

back to top