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Ancient and Medieval Art

Guides to Researching Art

Art Research Methods and Resources : A Guide to Finding Art Information. 1984. (Ref. N 85 J64 1984)
A reference guide to art research preparation, methodology, resources, iconographic resources, and research centers. See also, Visual Arts Research: A Handbook (Ref. N 85 P 55 1986), Research Guide to the History of Western Art. 1982. (Ref. N 380 K56 1982)

Online Reference Sources

CREDO is a collection of online reference sources. Search the entire CREDO database or select from the subject categories. The art category includes the following background titles:

Biographies

Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler von der antike bis zur gegenwart. 1907-50. (Ref. N 40 T4)
Also known as the Thieme-Becker, is considered the most complete and scholarly biographical reference work in the field of art. Includes over 50,000 artists from all countries and all time periods. The bibliographies at the end of each entry include reference to books, catalogs, and periodical articles.

Butler's Lives of the Saints. 1985 (Ref. BX 4654 B96 1985)
Page length descriptions of the lives of saints are provided in this source. See also, The Golden Legend: Readings on the Saints (ebook format). Saints and Their Emblems (Ref. N 8080 D7), and Saints in Art (ebook and N 8080 W32)

A Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Artists, 1420-1970. 1993. (Ref. N 6998 M55 1993)
An illustrated dictionary with an introductory essay by the editor John Milner. Includes painters, theater designers, illustrators, graphic artists, sculptors, and ceramic artists. Biographical information vary from one sentence to a couple of double-column pages

Dictionary of Women Artists. 2 vols. 1997. (Ref. N 8354 D53 1997)
This dictionary 'contains substantial entries on artists working in a wide variety of media from the Middle Ages to the present day, in countries throughout Europe as well as America and Australasia.' There are also eleven Introductory Surveys (Convents, Court Artists, Copyists, Printmakers, etc.), Alphabetical and Chronological List of Artists.

Dictionary of Women Artists: An International Dictionary of Women Artists Born Before 1900. (Ref. N 43 P47 1985)
More than 21,000 female painters, printmakers, illustrators, sculptors are included. Not included are: photographers, architects, craftwomen and designers. A valuable reference tool useful also to identify elusive or obscure names.

International Dictionary of Art and Artists. 1990. (Ref. N 7425 I67 1990)
Volume One provides information on 500 important European and American artists from the 13th to the 20th centuries. It includes painters, sculptors, and engravers. Biographical information is followed by a critical essay and a listing of the most important works by the artist. Volume Two deals with 500 individual works of art in chronological sequence.

 

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

ArtCyclopedia

Atlas of World Art. 2004. (Reference - G1046 E1 O96 2004)

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms. 2010. (Reference - N33 C575 2010)

*Douay Rheims Bible (http://www.drbo.org/)

Heilbrunn Timeline of Art (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/)

*Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. 1991. (Reference DF 521 O93 1991)

Dictionary of the Middle Ages. 1982 (Reference D 114 D5 1982)

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Medieval Civilization1980. (Reference CB 353 G7)

Medieval France: An Encyclopedia. 1995. (Reference DC 33.2 M44 1995)

Medieval Germany: An Encyclopedia. 2001 (Reference DD 126 M43 2001)

The Middle Ages: A Concise Encyclopaedia. 1989. (Reference D114