Research and Instruction Librarian for Music & Fine Arts
Karen Olson
she/her/hers
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
Use these reference sources to find biographical information as well as introductions and overviews to art topics. You can find many more art reference books by searching in Catalyst using keywords for your general subject AND the phrase (dictionary OR encyclopedia), like this:
GENERAL ART REFERENCE
Oxford Art Online/Grove Art OnlineISBN: 9781884446054Covers global art and architecture from prehistory to present day; includes the Benezit Dictionary of Artists.
The Grove Encyclopedia of Materials and Techniques in ArtISBN: 9780195313918Deals with all aspects of materials, techniques, conservation, and restoration in both traditional and nontraditional media, including ceramics, sculpture, metalwork, painting, works on paper, textiles, video, digital art, and more.
Oxford Dictionary of Art and ArtistsISBN: 9780191782763Entries on styles and movements, materials and techniques, museums and galleries, as well as artists, critics, collectors, dealers, and patrons.
Critical Terms for Art HistoryISBN: 9780226571690Essays covering a wide variety of "loaded" terms in the history of art, from sign to meaning, ritual to commodity.
ICONOGRAPHY AND SYMBOLS REFERENCE
1000 SymbolsCall Number: REFERNCE N7740 .S54 2002ISBN: 0500283516A comprehensive directory of symbols in clear, detailed artworks, each accompanied by a definition of the symbol's history and its cross-cultural meanings. AVAILABLE IN PRINT ONLY.
The Continuum Encyclopedia of Animal Symbolism in ArtCall Number: REFERENCE GR705 .W47 2004ISBN: 0826415253Focuses on animals and their symbolism in diverse world cultures and in different eras of human history. AVAILABLE IN PRINT ONLY.
Encyclopedia of Comparative IconographyCall Number: REFERENCE N7560 .E53 1998ISBN: 1579580092Covers common interpretations of images and symbols in art; AVAILABLE IN PRINT ONLY
Guide to Imagery (Books series)ISBN: 9780892367023Each book in the series explains important imagery in western art. Subjects include music, gods and heroes, and love and the erotic. AVAILABLE IN PRINT ONLY.
OTHER TOPICAL ART REFERENCE
The Encyclopedia of SculptureCall Number: REFERENCE NB198 .E53 2004ISBN: 1579582486A fully illustrated reference book spanning the entire history of sculpture, from prehistoric times to the twenty-first century. AVAILABLE IN PRINT ONLY.
The Grove Encyclopedia of American ArtISBN: 9780195335798Covers American painting, architecture, sculpture, and photography from the Pre-Columbian sources to the colonial period to the twenty-first century devoting coverage to many previously underrepresented areas of inquiry, including African American artists, Asian American artists, and Native American art, both historical and contemporary.
The Grove Encyclopedia of Classical Art and ArchitectureISBN: 9780195300826Covers all subject areas in the classical arts, including philosophers, rulers, writers and artists, architecture, ceramics, sculpture, and more.
The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative ArtsISBN: 0195189485Includes hundreds of entries on artists and craftsmen, the qualities and historic uses of materials, as well as concise definitions on art forms and style.
The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and ArchitectureISBN: 9780195309911Offers over 1,600 up-to-date entries on Islamic art and architecture ranging from the Middle East to Central and South Asia, Africa, and Europe.
The Oxford Companion to ArchitectureISBN: 9780198605683Covers all aspects of architecture, from architects, building types, and movements and styles to materials, aspects of design, and definitions.
The Oxford Dictionary of ArchitectureISBN: 9780199674985Covers architectural history in detail, from ancient times to the present day and includes concise biographies of hundreds of architects from history .
The Queer Encyclopedia of the Visual ArtsCall Number: REFERENCE N72.H64 Q44 2004ISBN: 1573441910Showcases the contribution of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer artists to painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and architecture. AVAILABLE IN PRINT ONLY.
