InfoGuides: Art History: Find Background Information

Reference sources can help you understand the basics of a topic or get factual details.

Handbooks are useful if you're writing a literature review and need to understand the current state of research on a topic.
Bibliographies provide critical summaries/overview of a person or topic (like "Ancient Egyptian Art"), with a list of major sources/readings on that topic.
Indexes provide lists of names, themes, places, etc. referenced in a work or body of work (e.g., the Index of Medieval Art might give you a list of all known medieval artworks on the theme of the Crucifixion).

These reference sources cover the subject of art history generally, from ancient through contemporary artists of all cultures.

Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new window
Scholarly art encyclopedia. Includes over 200,000 reference articles on every aspect of the visual arts from prehistory to the present, with selected images, written by over 6,800 scholars. Serves as the access point for Grove Art Online, the Benezit Dictionary of Artists, and other Oxford art reference resources. Tutorial for the Oxford Art Online database.

Oxford Bibliographies - Art History
Oxford Bibliographies in Art History offers trusted guidance on a range of art historical topics from Renaissance iconography to the arts of ancient China. Get an "overview of the field", written by experts, to help you understand the basics of a topic.

Artnet Price Database: Decorative Art/Fine Art and Design This link opens in a new window
A color-illustrated archive of Fine Art, Design, and Decorative Art auction results worldwide, providing objective information and insights on art prices.

Below is a sample of some of the specialized art encyclopedias and indexes through Mason Libraries. Search for more in our catalog with terms like encyclopedia, index, handbook, or reference + your area of interest (for example, "ancient egypt encyclopedia").

Oxford Handbook of Ancient Nubia
ISBN: 0190496282
Publication Date: 2020
The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Nubia presents fifty-five studies by specialists in the archaeology and history of a large region in Africa, centered on the Middle Nile from Aswan to the confluence of the two Niles, extending from the Red Sea to the modern western borders of Sudan and Egypt.
Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (LIMC)
Publication Date: 1981
The standard reference work for classical mythology: chronicles the representations of myths and legends in classical art. Available in print at Fenwick Library.
Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts by Fo Guang Shan Board of Directors (Reviewed by); Hsing Yun Venerable Master (Preface by); Ruchang Venerable (Editor-In-Chief)
Call Number: Special Collections - Folio N8193.A5 S5213 2016
Publication Date: 2016
NOTE: Located in Special Collections Research Center. The Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts is the first comprehensive compilation of Buddhist art from around the world. It contains nearly 10,000 entries and over 14,000 full-color images to serve the needs of scholars and general readers alike.

Index of Medieval Art This link opens in a new window
The collections include images and descriptive data related to the iconography of works of art produced between early apostolic times and the sixteenth century. Although the Index of Medieval Art was formerly known as the Index of Christian Art, the collection now includes secular subjects as well as a growing number of subjects from medieval Jewish and Islamic culture. View a tutorial on this database here.
International Encyclopedia of Surrealism This link opens in a new window
Digital resource presenting an overview of one of the most influential and enduring 20th-century art movements, from its beginnings to the present day. Featuring a 3-volume major reference work, interactive timeline and rare archive images, portraits and artworks, the resource is valuable for academics and students in Art History and Theory, French Studies, Film Studies, Literary Studies, Photography and Visual Culture, Design and Fashion, and Cultural History.