VIS 1001-1002: Art in Western Civilization I-II

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia of world art. (1959-87). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Comprehensive and authoritative encyclopedia which contains extensive bibliographies and illustrations.  International in scope, with emphasis on schools and movements by country and period. One half of each volume consists of plates that coincide with the articles in the first half. Excellent image source. Volumes 16 and 17 are supplements.
Reference N31 .E4833 vol. 1-15 (1959-1968), 16(1983), 17(1987)

Gaze, D. (Ed.). (1997). Dictionary of women artists. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers.
Over 600 entries of female artists born before 1945. Introductory essays examine training opportunities and the changing conditions of work for women since the Middle Ages to the present day. Each entry includes biographical information, a list of principal exhibitions, selected writings by and about the artist, and context in which the artist worked.
Reference N8354 .D53 1997, vols. 1-2

Honour, H., & Fleming, J. (1995). The visual arts: A history. (4th ed.). New York: Abrams.
Text surveys the history of world art from "before history" to the end of the twentieth century. The text is presented in a historical as well as an aesthetic context.
Reference N5300 .H68 1995

Janson, H.W., & Janson, A.F. (1997). History of  art. (5th ed.). New York: Harry N. Abrams.
One-volume survey of the history of Western art in historical, stylistic, and cultural analyses.
Reference N5300.J3 1997
Brookhaven Reference N5300 .J3 2001 (6th ed.)

Janson, H. W. (1985). 19th century sculpture. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
One-volume study of sculpture from 1776-1905 and its role in establishing the Neoclassic aesthetic. Text contains 321 photographs. Includes bibliographies based on geographical areas as well as individual artists.
Reference NB197.3.J36 1985

Kemp, M. (Ed.). (2000). The Oxford history of Western art. New York: Oxford University Press.
Western art history is classified according to five major changes of historical development rather than the conventional linear survey of changing styles (i.e. Renaissance, Baroque, etc.). Text covers art history from 600 BC to 2000 AD with a focus on European Art.
Reference N5300 .O96 2000

Langmuir, E. & Lynton, N. (2000). The Yale dictionary of art & artists. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Text covers all aspects of Western art from 1300 to present and provides information on artists, technical processes, terminology, theory, schools, movements, patrons and collecting, as well as conceptual subjects.
Reference N33 .L353 2000

Packard, R., & Korab, B. (1995). Encyclopedia of American architecture. (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
This edition includes an examination of changes in architecture since 1980. Contains over 500 full-color images and biographies of today's architects.
Reference NA705.P3 1995

Pendergast, S., & Pendergast, T. (2002). Contemporary artists. (5th ed.). New York: St. James Press.
Includes biographies of 850 of the more prominent contemporary artists who did the majority of their work after 1960. Each entry includes vital statistics, exhibitions, collections, and a selected bibliography of publications on each artist. Some entries include a photo of the artist.
Reference N6490 .C6567 2002, vols. 1-2

Pierce, J.S. (1995). From Abacus to Zeus: A handbook of art history. (5th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Terminology and iconography with reference to specific works of art and illustrations keyed to the fifth edition of Janson's History of Art.
Reference N33.P5 1995

Redford, D.B. (Ed.). (2001). The Oxford encyclopedia of ancient Egypt. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.
Text covers the full social, political, religious, cultural and artistic legacy of 5,000 years of Egyptian civilization. Topics include art, architecture, religion, language, literature, trade, politics, everyday social life and the culture of the court.
Reference DT58 .O94 2001, vols. 1-3

Ross, L. (1996).  Medieval art: A topical dictionary. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Text is a quick reference to topics, stories, symbols, and themes frequently represented in early Christian, Western Medieval, and Byzantine art.
Reference N7850 .R67 1996

Roberts, H.E. (Ed.). (1998). Encyclopedia of comparative iconography: Themes depicted in works of art. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn.
This encyclopedia examines themes and associated iconography found in biblical, mythological, and literary texts in historical and comparative contexts.
Reference N7565 .E53 1998, vol. 1-2

Sayre, H.M. (2002). Writing about art. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
A manual for writing assignments requiring the description and interpretation of art. Considers how to deal with subject matter relative to formal elements, medium, and overall composition. Includes a model essay as well as a style guide.
Reference N7476 .S29 2002
Brookhaven Reference N7476 .S29 2002

Schmied, W.,  Whitford, F., & Ollner, F. (Eds.). (2000). The Prestel dictionary of art and artists in the 20th century. New York: Prestel.
Coverage includes contemporary artistic groups and movements, exhibition history, and work characteristics of the major American and European artists of the 20th century. Text also includes biographies and colored illustrations.
Reference N6490 .P73 2000

Strieter, T.W. (1999). Nineteenth-century European art: A topical dictionary. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Survey of major European art movements, works, themes, people, and events covering the period from 1789-1914, presented with a historical view of developments in Europe. Entries include description of works and the context in which they were created. Includes bibliographical references.
Reference N6757 .S77 1999

Tansey, R.G., & Kleiner, F.S. (2001). Gardner's art through the ages (11th ed.). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
Authoritative survey of history of world art that covers the Stone Age, ancient Near East, ancient Egypt, prehistoric Aegean, ancient Greece, Asian, Etruscan, ancient Rome, late antiquity, Byzantium, Islamic, American, African, Medieval, Romanesque, and Gothic.
Reference N5300.G25 1996
Brookhaven Reference N5300.G25 2001, vol. 1-2

The American art book. (1999). London: Phaidon Press.
Text includes biographies of 500 American artists from the colonial times to the present, with color plates of significant works and commentary. Text also includes a glossary of artistic terms and movements and a directory of museums and public collections with important holdings of American art.
Reference N6505 .A564 1999

Turner, J. (Ed.). (1996). The dictionary of  art.  New York: Grove's Dictionaries.
Comprehensive coverage of the history of visual arts worldwide. Includes analysis of styles, schools, groups and movements, as well as emphasis on the forms, themes and subject matter of art. Coverage extends to architecture, decorative arts, and photography. Biographical entries include brief bibliographies for further reading. Volume 34 is an index. Also available online.
Reference N31 .D5 1996, vol. 1-34

Walther, I.F. (Ed.). (1998). Art of the 20^th Century. New York: Taschen.
Text includes coverage of Painting, Sculpture, Photography, and New Media of the 20th century. Discussion includes all major art forms and movements of the century, as well as the relationship between different disciplines.
Reference N6490 .A712, vol. 1-2
Brookhaven Reference N6490 .A712, vol. 1-2

Books in the Main Stacks

For more books, try searching the catalog for the following subjects:

Art
Art History

Or, try a subject search for a particular artist (such as Picasso, Pablo), period ( such as post impressionism), or movement (such as cubism).

Journals

American Artist
Art Bulletin
Art in America
Art Journal
ARTnews (also available online)
New York Times
New Yorker

To find indexing and full-text information for these titles, check the Journal Locator.