Art History Bibliography and Library Methods

Dictionaries of Art Terms

Art 600

GENERAL

1. Adeline, J. Adeline's art dictionary (rev. ed., 1966)

N33.A223 1966 Art reference

Revival of an older dictionary of technical, descriptive, and iconographical terms from painting, printmaking, sculpture, architecture, the decorative arts, and heraldry. This edition contains a brief supplement of more current terms.

2. Apelt, M. English-German dictionary: art history-archaeology (1987)

N33.A63 1987 Art reference

Supplies English terms and German equivalents.

3. Apelt, M. German-English dictionary: art history-archaeology (1982)

N33.A64 Art reference

Companion to #2. Gives German visual arts terms and English equivalents.

4. Glossarium artis: Wörterbuch zur Kunst (1972- )

Call # varies

Scholarly, detailed dictionary of terms that is being produced in self-contained parts under the auspices of the Comité International d'Histoire de l'Art. Each 150-400-p. section is devoted to the terminology of a fairly circumscribed branch of art or architectural history, such as military architecture, Christian liturgical objects, or city planning. Early parts of the series gave terms in German and French, with the definitions in German. Recent ones supply corresponding English terms, too. Entire series accessible under main title in Socrates and card catalog.

5. Haggar, R. Dictionary of art terms (1962)

N33.H25 1962 Art reference

Good general dictionary of technical, descriptive, and historical terms from painting, printmaking, sculpture, architecture, the decorative arts, and heraldry. Concludes with lists of German, French, and Italian art terms with English equivalents.

6. Herder-Lexikon: Kunst (1974)

N33.H5 Art reference

7. Jahn, J. Wörterbuch der Kunst (10th ed., 1983)

N33.J4 1983 Art ref.

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8. Lützler, H. Bildwörterbuch der Kunst (1962)

N33.L8 1962 Art ref.

Reliable dictionaries of German visual arts terms with definitions in German.

9. Janneau, G. Dictionnaire des termes d'art (1980)

N33.J36 Art reference

French terms with brief definitions. Classified arrangement, mainly by art form.

10. Masciotta, M. Dizionario di termini artistici (1969)

N33.M33 Art reference

Supplies Italian terms and definitions in Italian; each entry for a term also gives its French, English, and German equivalents. At the end of the volume are separate indexes of French, English, and German terms with their Italian equivalents.

11. Mollett, J. An illustrated dictionary of words used in art and archaeology (1883)

N33.M6 1966 Art reference

Reprint of an older work, like Adeline (#1), but much better than the latter for decorative arts terms--costume, porcelain, furniture, etc.

12. Néraudau, J. Dictionnaire d'histoire de l'art (1985)

N33.N47 1985 Art reference

French terms and definitions. Fewer terms than supplied by Janneau (#9), but longer, more detailed definitions.

13. Réau, L. Dictionnaire polyglotte des termes d'art et d'archéologie (rev. ed., 1977)

N33.R42 1977 Art reference

Dictionary of French terms from the visual arts and archaeology with equivalents in a variety of languages, including Italian, Spanish, English, German, Dutch, and romanized Russian. No definitions. Concludes with lists of German, English, and Italian terms and their French equivalents.

14. Runes, D. & H. Schrickel. Encyclopedia of the arts (1946) N31.R8

Art reference

Includes musical, literary, and theatrical terms as well as those from the visual arts. Includes some romanized Japanese art terms.

15. Urdang, L., ed. Fine and applied arts terms index (1983)

N34.U72 1983 Art reference

Index of terms from a variety of specialized art dictionaries and encyclopedias and other art publications. Does not supply definitions, but provides citations to original sources so definitions can be looked up in them.

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ARCHITECTURE

16. Curl, J. English architecture: an illustrated glossary (2nd ed., 1986)

NA961.C87 1986 Art reference

Definitions of terms for architectural features and building types in England from the medieval period through the 18th c. Heavily illustrated with small photographs.

17. Harris, C. Dictionary of architecture and construction (2nd ed., 1993)

NA31.H32 1993 Art reference

Includes an enormous number of architectural terms and also a large proportion of building construction terms. Definitions are brief, but many are illustrated with line drawings.

18. Harris, C. Historic architecture sourcebook (1977)

NA31.H56 Art reference

Probably the most comprehensive one-volume dictionary of terms for architectural features and building types from prehistoric times down through the 19th c., including some transliterated terms for the Far East in Chinese and Japanese. Many illustrative drawings.

19. Harris, J. & J. Lever. Illustrated glossary of architecture, 850-1830 (1966)

NA31.H34 1966a Art reference

Distinguished by its excellent photographic illustrations with architectural features clearly designated.

20. Inventaire général des monuments et des richesses artistiques de la France. Architecture: méthode et vocabulaire (2nd ed., 1993)

NA31.P47 Art stacks

Classified arrangement of historical architecture and construction technology terms, with illustrations keyed to the terms.

21. Kadatz, H. Wörterbuch der Architektur (1980)

NA31.K3 Art reference

German terms, mainly historical, with German definitions.

22. Vandenberghe, J. Elsevier's dictionary of architecture (1988)

NA31.E56 1988 Art reference

Historic and modern building construction terms in English with French, Spanish, German and Dutch equivalents.

23. Zboinski, A. & Tyszynski, L. Dictionary of architecture and building trades (1963)

NA31.Z34 Art reference

List of English architectural terms with German, Polish, and Russian equivalents. No definitions. Terms from architectural history and the modern building trades. Concludes with lists of German, Polish, and Russian terms that give the English equivalents.

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MATERIAL CULTURE

24. Inventaire général des monuments et des richesses artistiques de la France. Objets civils domestiques: vocabulaire (1984)

TX298.O24 1984 Art reference

Household objects, mostly 17th-19th-c., classified by function and accompanied by associated terminology. Heavily illustrated. Alphabetical index at the end to the terms.

PRINTMAKING

25. Delteil, L. Le peintre-graveur illustré, v.32: appendix and glossary

(1970) NE90.D4 Art reference

Contains glossary of French art terms, many of which concern printmaking, with definitions in English, German, and Spanish.

26. Shapiro, C. & L. Mason. Fine prints (1976)

NE885.S42 1976 Art stacks

Elementary book on print connoisseurship that happens to have a useful glossary of print terms at the end, including the English definitions of French and German terms.

SCULPTURE

27. Inventaire général des monuments et des richesses artistiques de la France. La sculpture: méthode et vocabulaire (3rd ed., 1990)

NB1170.B37 1990 Art stacks

Classified arrangement of information about sculptural technique--carving, casting, copying, etc.--with definitions of associated terminology. Heavily illustrated. Alphabetical index at the end to the terms.

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TEXTILES

28. Inventaire général des monuments et des richesses artistiques de laFrance. Tapisserie: méthode et vocabulaire (1971)

NK3049.A1V52 Art reference

Classified arrangement of information about tapestry making, with definitions of associated terminology. Heavily illustrated. Alphabetical index at the end to the terms.

EARLY CHRISTIAN

29. Laag, D. Wörterbuch der altchristlichen Kunst (1959)

N7825.L15 Art stacks

Small dictionary of terms for things, places--mainly German and Latin words--that one might encounter in the study of Early Christian art. Definitions in German.

MEDIEVAL/RENAISSANCE

30. Gay, V. & H. Stein. Glossaire archéologique du Moyen-Age et de la Renaissance (1928) 2 v.

CC70.G3 Art Stacks

Covers French medieval and Renaissance terminology for objects and materials having to do with the decorative arts, liturgical objects and vestments, arms and armor, musical instruments, etc. Like an unabridged dictionary, it includes quotes from inventories and other sources more or less contemporary with the objects that help put them in context as far as their identification is concerned. There are also many illustrative drawings.

31. Laborde, L. Glossaire français du Moyen Age, à l'usage de l'archéologue et de l'amateur des arts (1872)

PC2889.L2 Art stacks

French decorative arts terminology from the 12th through the 17th cs. with definitions in French and examples of the use of the terms from old sources. No illustrations.

32. Vogüé, M. de. Glossaire de termes techniques à l'usage des lecteurs de "La Nuit des Temps" (4th ed., 1989)

N33.V59 1989 Art reference

Extensive dictionary of French terms that one might encounter in the study of Romanesque art and architecture. Definitions in French and equivalent German, English, Spanish, and Italian terms in each entry and in their own indexes at the end of the book. Illustrated with line drawings and some excellent keyed photographs. Compiled for readers of the Nuit des temps series on Romanesque churches and their contents.

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MODERN

33. Walker, J. Glossary of art, architecture and design since 1945 (3rd ed., 1992)

N34.W34 1992 Art reference

Excellent for definitions of contemporary art terminology, movements, etc. to the early 90's.

CHINA

34. Hansford, S. A glossary of Chinese art and archaeology (1961)

N7340.H3 1954 Art stacks

35.Medley, M. A handbook of Chinese art for collectors and students (1964)

N7340.M4 1965 Art stacks

Cover much the same area--Chinese art terms--except Hansford is for those who can read some Chinese and Medley is for the general reader who would be working with material in English.

MISCELLANEOUS