This is a general guide to the types of material which should be consulted when researching a specific work of art, generally by a known artist. These types of material will assist the researcher in locating information about the artist and the specific work of art, in evaluating the artist's contribution within the time/period/style/school in which he/she worked, and in placing the specific work of art into context within the artist's total oeuvre.
These provide brief, general information about an artist, genre, or style.
Examples: Oxford Art Online (online), Britannica Encyclopedia of American Art, Ref N6505 .B73; Biography Reference Bank (online), Biography Resource Center (online)
These sources can help you get started by suggesting major books, articles, and exhibition catalogues on an artist or subject. Be aware of the fact that they are rarely comprehensive.
Example: Arts in America: A Bibliography, Ref NX503 .A1B A78
Oxford Art Online (online) is also an excellent resource for learning about the major books and articles on art-related topics.
Check DELCAT under the subject (e.g. abstract expressionism, impressionism, landscape painting, surrealism. Check the index in the back of each book to see if a specific artist is discussed. Check the bibliography at the back of each book for leads to other writings about this topic.
Examples:
Keyword(s) anywhere: american printm*
Subject keyword(s): abstract expressionism
Subject keyword(s): printmakers
Look in DELCAT under the name of the artist. Check the index in the back of each book to see if a specific work is discussed. Check the bibliography at the back of each book for leads to other writings about this artist.
Examples:
Keyword(s) anywhere: sol lewitt
Subject keyword(s): sol lewitt
Search DELCAT under the artist's name. Look for books in which the words `catalogue raisonne' appear in the title or for books entitled "The Complete Works of _____", "The Complete Paintings of _____", "All the Paintings of _____". Be sure to note the date of publication.
Example: Mabel Dwight: a catalogue raisonne of the lithographs, NE2312 .D9 A4 1997
Look in DELCAT under the name of the museum or gallery or under the name of the collector. Look for a title which implies that the book is a comprehensive guide to a collection.
Examples: American Paintings in the Metropolitan Museum of art, ND205 .N373 1980; Early Italian Paintings in the Yale University Art Gallery, ND615 .Y3
The major indexes to art periodicals are:
In addition to these, there are many other indexes, some more specific, some more general, which may be important to the researcher. For a list of other indexes which are important to the art historian, please refer to the following bibliographies which are available via the World Wide Web:
Archival resources may include manuscripts, diaries, letters, photographs, etc. which are unique and are located in one library or research collection. Some archival resources may be microfilmed or digitized to make them more widely available to researchers. Other primary resources may consist of published writings or interviews with the artist. Locating such resources may be difficult, but there are resources which assist the researcher in locating such materials.
Examples: ArchiveGrid (online); Archives of American Art (online); Twentieth-Century Artists on Art, Ref NX456 .R59 1996
