Southeastern Louisiana University

Visual Arts Subject Guide

Encyclopedias

The Book of Art: A Pictorial Encyclopedia of Painting, Drawing and Sculpture
--Reference Stacks-- N 31 .B6 1994 (10 vols)
Dictionary of Art
--Reference Stacks-- N 31 .D5 1996 (34 vols.)
Encyclopedia of Aesthetics
--Reference Stacks-- BH 56 .E53 1998 (4 vols.)
Encyclopedia of Comparative Iconography
--Reference Stacks-- N 7565 .E53 1998 (2 vols.)
Encyclopedia of Visual Art
--Reference Stacks-- N 25 .E53 1989
Encyclopedia of World Art
--Reference Stacks-- N 31 .E533 (17 vol.)
The Continuum Encyclopedia of Native Art: Worldview Symbolism and Culture in Africa, Oceana and Native North America
--Reference Stacks-- E 98 .A7 W49 2000
Gardner's Art Through the Ages 11th ed.
--Reference Stacks-- N 5300. G25 2001
Hombre, Creacion y Arte Enciclopedia del Arte Universal
--Reference Stacks-- N 33 .C3418 1991 (5 vol.)
Larousse Encyclopedia of Byzantine and Medieval Art
--Reference Stacks-- N 5970 .H813
Larousse Encyclopedia of Renaissance and Baroque Art
--Reference Stacks-- N 6350 .H813
A Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Oriental Arts
--Reference Stacks-- N 7262 .P5
Souls Grown Deep: African-American Vernacular Art
--Reference Stacks-- N 6538 .N5 S69 2000 (2 vols.)
The Thames and Hudson Encyclopaedia of Graphic Design and Designers
--Reference Stacks-- NC 997 .L54 1992

Handbooks

The New Century Handbook of Greek Art and Architecture
--Reference Stacks-- N 5633 .N39
The Oxford Companion to Art
--Reference Stacks-- N 33 .O9
The Oxford Companion to Twentieth Century Art
--Reference Stacks-- N 6490 .O94 1990
The Wilson Chronology of the Arts
--Reference Stacks-- N 5306 .O26 1998

Dictionaries

Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art
--Reference Stacks-- N 7560 .H34
Encyclopedia of Sculpture Techniques
--Reference Stacks-- NB 1170 .M528 1990
The HarperCollins Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques
--Reference Stacks-- N 33. M37 1991
Illustrated Dictionary of Symbols in Eastern and Western Art
--Reference Stacks-- N 7740 .H35 1994
International Dictionary of Art and Artists
--Reference Stacks-- N 40 .I55 1990 (2 vol.)
Oxford Dictionary of Art
--Reference Stacks-- N 33 .O93 1988
Penguin Dictionary of Architecture
--4th Floor Stacks-- NA 31 .F55 1966

Guides

American Art Directory 59th ed.
--Reference Stacks-- N 50 .A54; earlier editions in 4th Floor Stacks
Applied and Decorative Arts: a Bibliographic Guide to Basic Reference Works, Histories and Handbooks
--4th Floor Stacks-- NKZ 1110 .E47
Art Information and the Internet: How to Find It, How to Use It
--Reference Stacks-- N 59 .J66 1999
Encyclopedia of Associations. International Organizations
--Reference Stacks-- HS 17 .G322; earlier editions in 4th Floor Stacks
Guide to the Literature of Art History
--Reference Stacks-- N 380 Z99 .A67
The Official Museum Directory 32nd ed.
--Reference Stacks-- AM 10 .A2 04 2002; earlier editions in 4th Floor Stacks

Style Manuals

Chicago Manual of Style
--Ready Reference-- Z 253 .C57 2003
Electronic Styles: A Handbook for Citing Electronic Information
--Ready Reference-- PN 171 .D37L5 1996
Elements of Style
--Ready Reference-- PE 1408 .S772 2005
Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations
--Ready Reference-- LB 2369 .T8
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 6th ed.
--Ready Reference-- LB 2369 .G53 2003

Bibliographies

250 Years of Afro-American Art: An Annotated Bibliography
--Reference Stacks-- N 6538 .N5 Z99 I6
Art Books: A Basic Bibliography of Monographs on Artists
--Reference Stacks-- N 40 .F73 1997
Arts in America: A Bibliography
--4th Floor Stacks-- NX 503 .Z99 A7 (4 vol.)
Feminist Art Criticism: An Annotated Bibliography
--Reference Stacks-- N 72 .F45 Z99 L36 1993
The Visual Resources Directory: Art Slides and Photograph Collections in the United States and Canada
--Reference Stacks-- N 4039 .V58 1995; also available online-- NetLibrary e-book
Women Artists in the United States: A Selective Bibliography and Resource Guide on the Fine and Decorative Arts, 1750-1986
--Reference Stacks-- N 6536 .Z99 W6 1990

Biographies

Biographical Encyclopedia of American Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers of the U. S.: Colonial to 2002
--Reference Stacks-- N 6536 .B56 2002 (2 vol.)
Biography Index
--Reference Stacks-- CT 100 .B5
Contemporary Architects
--Reference Stacks-- NA 40.C6
Contemporary Artists 4th ed.
--Reference Stacks-- N 6490 .C6567 1996
Dictionary of Women Artists
--Reference Stacks-- N 8354 .D53 1997 (2 vol.)
Dictionary of Women Artists: An International Dictionary of Women Artists Born Before 1900
--Reference Stacks-- N 43 .P47 1985
Dictionnaire Critique et documentaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs
--Reference Stacks-- N 40 .B47 1976 (10 Vol.)

Indexes and Databases

Academic Search Complete-- Indexes, abstracts and provides selected full-text of articles published in scholarly publications from many disciplines.

AHSearch-- Indexes articles in arts and humanities journals and in selected social science and science journals.

Art Abstracts-- Indexes, abstracts and provides some full-text articles from international art, advertising, archaeology, folk art, graphics art, video, film, architecture, and art history periodicals, yearbooks, and museum bulletins.

Biography Resource Center-- Provides full-text biographical information on people from throughout history, around the world, and across all disciplines and subject areas.

JSTOR-- Indexes, abstracts and provides full-text of scholarly journal articles in the fields of ecology, economics, education, finance, history, mathematics, political science and population studies.

Project Muse-- Indexes, abstracts and provides full-text of scholarly journal articles in the fields of literature and criticism, history, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, and gender studies.

ProQuest Research Library-- Indexes, abstracts and provides selected full-text of popular and scholarly periodicals from many disciplines.

Internet Sites

Art Libraries Society of North America -- Through its many works and activities - conferences, publications, awards, ARLIS-L the electronic discussion list, and web site - ARLIS/NA plays a leadership role for the 21st century by providing resources and services for the worldwide arts information community.

Artcyclopedia -- Index of 12,000 art sites with over 32,000 links to sites world wide. Only links to sites where artists' works can be viewed online. The majority of the artists are painters or sculptors, although other artistic media are presented where possible. Searching is by artist's name.

The artists.org -- Modern and contemporary artists and art

ArtLex -- A Dictionary of Visual Art-Definitions of over 3,000 terms with supporting images, notes, and quotations. Includes search tips and suggestions for citing in research papers.

ARTSUSA -- Americans for the Arts is the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. An organization dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts.

College Art Association -- Promotes excellence in scholarship and teaching in the history and criticism of the visual arts and in creativity and technical skill in the teaching and practices of art. Facilitates the exchange of ideas and information among those interested in art and history of art. Advocates comprehensive and inclusive education in the visual arts.

Metropolitan Museum of Art Timeline of Art History

Museums -- Most museums have there own websites and frequently display works of art online. Use a search engine like Google or Alltheweb and search for the name of the work or the artist or for the name of the museum enclosed in quotation marks. Example: "Turning the Stake" "Thomas Eakins" "New Orleans Museum of Art"

National Endowment for the Arts -- The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts--both new and established--bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government.

Symbols.com -- Contains over 2,000 Western signs arranged into 54 groups according to their graphic characteristics. Includes over 1,000 articles on the histories, uses, and meanings.

WebMuseum -- A collaborative site that provides images of representative works from nearly all time periods. Browse by artist or theme in the Famous Paintings Collections.

World Wide Art Resources -- Art news, portfolios and arts marketplace.