A small selection of reference texts for art students. For more, explore the N books on Level 3.
Encyclopedia of Comparative Iconography
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First published in 1998. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
The Encyclopedia of Latin American and Caribbean Art
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The nearly 1,400 articles in this volume cover all the major artistic developments in Central and South America and the Caribbean from the colonial period to the present. From 16th-century Spanish colonial architects such as Fray Andres San Miguel to European explorers such as Alexander vonHumboldt to contemporary artists such as Debora Arango, the entries chart the adaptations of European artistic traditions and the evolution of individual national cultures.
Styles, Schools and Movements
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Art in the modern era has come to be defined by its styles, schools, and movements. The more than three hundred collected here provide an essential introduction to the major developments in Western painting, sculpture, architecture, and design during one of the most dynamic and exciting periods in art history.More than one hundred main entries are presented in broadly chronological order, from Impressionism and Cubism to Sound Art, Internet Art, and Art Photography in the twenty-first century. Two hundred supplementary entries provide fully cross-referenced summaries of additional styles and movements, tracing patterns of influence and development. A timeline shows at a glance how the evolution of art corresponds with historical events, providing a thorough overview of the period.Listings of major international collections and suggestions for further reading are given for all the main entries, and the comprehensive index features over 1,000 artists, architects, designers, impresarios, critics, collectors, and champions of modern art, linking the styles, schools, and movements with the people who made them happen.
The Concise Focal Encyclopedia of Photography
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Defining photography is impossible. Revealing it is another matter, and that's what The Concise Focal Encyclopedia of Photography does, with each turn of the page. History: The technical origins and evolution of photography are half of the story. The other half consists of the ways that cultural forces have transformed photography into a constellation of practices more diverse than any other mode of representation. Photographers can tell a more in-depth story through a photo like Dorothea Lange's "Migrant Mother" than a journalist ever could with the written word alone. Major themes and practitioners: Over 25 entries, many with supporting illustrations, examine the figures, trends, and ideas that have contributed most heavily to the history and current state of photography. Contemporary issues: The issues influencing photography today are more complex than at any other time in its history. Questions of ethics, desire, perception, digitization, and commercialization all vie for attention. Hear what the experts have to say about crucial issues such as whether or not the images we take today will last the test of time, and if so, how? When material is covered this skillfully, "concise" is no compromise. The Concise Focal Encyclopedia of Photography is packed with useful information, compelling ideas, and - best of all - pure pleasure.
Encyclopedia of American Art Before 1914
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A one-volume work covering all the major artistic developments in the USA from the Colonial period until 1914. From pioneering artists, such as John White, who recorded the native flora, fauna, and peoples of the early Virginia and North Carolina settlements, to the pivotal 1913 Armory Show,the entries chart the evolution of artistic traditions in the emerging American nation. The book features 500 biographies of such well-known figures as John Singleton Copley, Benjamin West, Thomas Cole, and Paul Revere; it also includes some 30 new biographies of late 19th century and early 20thcentury Californian artists, who have frequently been overlooked in previous literature.
Benezit Dictionary of Artists
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The Benezit Dictionary of Artists, published since 1911, is a landmark reference work in Art History, a magnificent 14 volume biographical dictionary of painters, sculptors, draftsmen, and engravers from around the world and across history.With entries on over 175,000 artists, the Benezit is one of the most comprehensive and definitive resources on artists. Unique features include the dictionary's coverage of obscure artists and the inclusion of images of artists' signatures, monograms, and stamps. Entries are clear and concise, andoften contain auction records, museum holdings, and bibliographies. Valued for both its wide coverage of lesser-known artists and its deep coverage of artists occupying the core pantheon of art, the Benezit is an essential resource for scholars, librarians, museum curators, art dealers, andcollectors.
The Dictionary of Art
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Boasting well over 6,000 contributors from 12 countries, the Dictionary offers its readers authoritative and comprehensive global coverage. A resource for both art and cultural studies, the Dictionary serves as a unique guide to all the visual arts: painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, drawing, printmaking, as well as the decorative arts. The Dictionary ranges far both geographically and historically; it features unparalleled coverage of Africa, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Mongolia, China, India, the Islamic world, Japan, Korea, Native North America, Pacific and Aboriginal Australia, Pre-Columbian America, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, the Ancient Near East, and Ancient Rome. Providing depth as well as breadth, The Dictionary of Art examines important art forms and key issues of design, taste, function, and patronage, illuminating them in light of the cultural context in which they developed.
Concise Dictionary of Women Artists
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This book includes some 200 complete entries from the award-winning Dictionary of Women Artists, as well as a selection of introductory essays from the main volume.
Oxford Dictionary of Art & Artists
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Covering Western art from the ancient Greeks to the present day, this best-selling and authoritative dictionary is more wide-ranging than any comparable reference work. It contains clear and concise entries on styles and movements, materials and techniques, and museums and galleries. It also includes biographical entries for artists, critics, collectors, dealers, and patrons, with places and full dates of birth and death (in many instances correcting misinformation that has found its way into other sources). For this new edition, entries have been thoroughly revised and updated, and almost fifty new entries have been added, for example Ai Weiwei and Anne Vallayer-Coster. Written in an engaging manner with many entries enlivened by quotations from artists and critics, this dictionary is a pleasure to browse, and it is ideal for artists, visitors to art exhibitions and galleries, and anyone with an interest in art.
Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art
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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.
Atlas of World Art
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The Atlas of World Art maps the cumulative traces of humankind's artistic activity and demonstrates the importance of physical and political geography for the history of the world's art. This stunning volume is the first to treat the art of the whole world from prehistory to present day andto show the importance of natural and social factors in shaping artistic activity.The Atlas is divided into seven parts, each devoted to a specific time period: Art of the Hunter Gatherer (50,000-5,000 BCE); Art, Agriculture and Urbanization (5,000-500 BCE); Art, War and Empire (500 BCE-600 CE); Art, Religion and Empire (600-1500); Art, Exploitation and Display (1500-1800); Art,Industry and Science (1800-1900); Art, Competition and Identity (1900-2000). Each section opens with a helpful timeline for that period bringing together important dates from across various cultures. Within each section, the spreads are organized by four broad geographic regions: the Americas,Europe, Africa, and Asia and the Pacific. With dramatic full-color maps, as well as commentaries and illustrations, the Atlas of World Art is an authoritative, comprehensive, and elegant volume.
Art Full Text is a bibliographic database that indexes and abstracts articles from periodicals published throughout the world. Full-text coverage for selected periodicals is also included.
The Getty provides free access to the BHA/RILA database which indexes European and American visual arts material published between 1975 and 2007. Also available are the Abstracts of International Conservation Literature (AATA), Photo Archive, Digital Collections and other research aids.
The British Museum's Collection online contains items spanning two million years of history and six continents. It allows access to almost four and a half million objects in more than two million records. High definition images can be enlarged and examined in detail which will enable you to view the incredible workmanship on the Royal Game of Ur, the intricate carving on this African hunting horn, the amazingly preserved deerskin map from North America, or this delightful drawing by Raphael of an old man's head – just a few of the thousands of highlights to discover.
JSTOR contains articles and books, usually at least 3-5 years old, from scholarly sources. They also have some primary resource collections. For more recent material, use Discover@UMSL or other individual databases.
Academic Search Complete is a scholarly, multidisciplinary full-text database, with several thousand full-text periodicals, most of which are peer-reviewed journals. In addition to full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for many more journals, monographs, reports, conference proceedings, etc.
