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Introductory material
Consult introductory material for a broad overview of your issue or topic, and to identify key concepts, theories and researchers in the field. Introductory material may include:
- subject or discipline specific dictionaries and encyclopedias
- handbooks
- companions
- introductions
- guides
- histories
Find introductory material by combining a topic keyword with one of the material type discriptors above, e.g. contemporary art handbook.
These are some examples of introductory material available for this subject in the Library. The list is not extensive, and you should perform your own search to see what else is available in our collections.
Benezit Dictionary of ArtistsAvailable online from the Oxford Art Online database. Artists' bibliographies as well as auction records, exhibition histories, and over 11,000 images of artists' signatures and stamps of sale.
The Oxford dictionary of art and artists by Covering Western art from the ancient Greeks to the present day, this authoritative dictionary contains over 2,500 entries on styles and movements, materials and techniques, and museums and galleries.
A dictionary of modern and contemporary art by This authoritative reference work contains around 2,000 entries on all aspects of modern and contemporary art, including movements, styles, techniques, artists, critics, dealers, schools, and galleries.
The Oxford companion to Western art by The Oxford Companion to Western Art covers artists and their works, as well as topics of contemporary interest, including patronage, taste, theory and criticism, materials and techniques.
Key databases
Use these key databases to find journal articles:
- Oxford art onlineOxford Art Online comprises the full text of Grove Art Online, The Oxford Companion to Western Art, The Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, and The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms.
- ARTbibliographies modern (ABM)ART bibliographies modern (ABM) provides full abstracts of journal articles, books, essays, exhibition catalogues, PhD dissertations, and exhibition reviews on all forms of modern and contemporary art.
- JSTORThe JSTOR archive of digitised full text journals, covering arts and sciences but does not include current issues.
- Art index retrospectiveProvides information from international art publications.
Key books
The following books are key resources for your subject:
The books that shaped art history by Call Number: Central General N7480 .B66 2013Also available online
Principles of Art History: the problem of the development of style in early modern art by Call Number: Central General N5300 .W82 2015
Three reflections on contemporary art history by Call Number: Central General N7400.6 .T472 2014
Principles of Art History Writing by Call Number: Central General N380 .C37 1991
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Access recommended books, journals, databases and websites for your Art History assignments and research.