Best Bets for Starting Your Research in... :: Art ::
Use databases to find articles on your topic. These databases are the best place to start.
- Art Index with Retrospective
This database offers indexing of an international array of peer-selected publications—now with expanded coverage of Latin American, Canadian, Asian and other non-Western art, new artists, contemporary art, exhibition reviews, and feminist criticism.
A unique resource, Art Index Retrospective helps users find contemporary criticism of art at the time of its debut, track the body of work of an artist or movement, find artists’ interviews and other commentary.
Date coverage: 1929-present.
- Humanities Full Text
Humanities Full Text brings you full text plus abstracts and bibliographic indexing of the most noted scholarly sources in the humanities, as well as numerous lesser-known but important specialized magazines.
Date
Coverage: 1984 –present.
Tips: When searching databases, use AND, OR, and parentheses to focus your search. Combine synonyms with OR and put them inside parentheses, like this:
(painting OR drawing) AND (landscape OR "still life")
(realism OR surrealism) AND (Magritte OR Chagall)
Already have the citation? Find an article with citation linker!
Did you know...Databases are basically just search engines for articles on specific subjects. |
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Find books using the library catalog. Browse these sample subjects to get information about art.
Search the library catalog! Find books, media materials, and more.
Did you know...- WorldCat is a catalog of thousands of libraries around the world!
- If a book isn't in the Fairfield U. catalog, search WorldCat and request the book from another library. Just click on the Interlibrary Loan button.
 - You can search ReQuest to search just the libraries in Connecticut.
- Contact John Cayer, Interlibrary Services, with questions.
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Reference tools such as dictionaries and encyclopedias are good places to start your research because they provide an overview of the topic as well as keywords, dates, and facts.
Reference Books
- Dictionary of Art
This definitive 34-volume Dictionary serves as a unique guide to all the visual arts: painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, drawing, printmaking, as well as the decorative arts.
Ref N31.D5 1996
- A Short Guide to Writing about Art
Suggested by Fairfield University Art History professors as the definitive guide to writing about art and citing sources, including works of art, correctly.
Ref. N7476 .B37 2005
Online Reference Tools
- Grove Art Online (Online Database)
Grove Art Online comprises the full text of The Dictionary of Art, edited by Jane Turner (1996, 34 vols) and The Oxford Companion to Western Art, edited by Hugh Brigstocke (2001). Articles that have been added or updated since their appearance in print are date-stamped in the upper right corner of the screen.
Tips: Try looking at the bibliography at the end of the entry for a list of other sources such as relevant journal articles and books.
When you have found books on your topic, look at the books on the shelf nearby to see if they are related to your topic.
Did you know...
Wikipedia can be edited by anyone, so make sure you use another source to confirm the information you find there.
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These web sites have been evaluated by librarians (that's a good thing) for your use in an academic setting.
- Art History Resources on the Web
http://witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHLinks.html
Professor Chris Witcombe of the Art department at Sweet Briar College has perhaps the best organized gateway to art history sites on the Web.
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
http://www.metmuseum.org/home.asp
There is much quality material for art students, educators, and enthusiasts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art web site, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art Timeline of Art History, a chronological, geographical, and thematic exploration of the history of art from around the world.
- Getty Museum
http://www.getty.edu/
The J. Paul Getty Trust focus on the visual arts serves both general audiences and specialized professionals, and it offers an impressive array of services. For instance, the Getty Research Institute provides access to a range of online research tools. The Research Library is accessible to both on-site and remote users and provides access to the Library Catalog, a myriad of collections and other services. The Explore Art section allows you to browse many of the works of art on display at the Getty by name, object, theme, or topic.
Tips: Any web site can be changed
without notice, so be sure to evaluate every
site you use. Did you know...
There are billions of web pages and Google only finds a fraction of them (about 15%). The rest is held in what's called the "Invisible Web", which is made up of dynamically generated information, password protected sites, and databases-driven sites!
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Use these short e-learning modules to get quick answers!
Still have questions?
Ask a Reference Librarian
(203) 254-4000 ext. 2178
reference@mail.fairfield.edu
IM the Reference Desk at FairfieldULib - AOL and Yahoo
FairfieldUlib@hotmail.com - MSN
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