Research Guides: Art History Research Guide: Welcome!

Welcome to the Art History research guide! Using the left navigation, you'll find advice on where and how to find resources specific to Art History research. Remember you can always contact flaxman@saic.edu if you need any help.

Quick Tips

Consider these databases as best bets when doing your Art History research.
FOR BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND BIBLIOGRAPHIES

Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new window
Includes the Grove Dictionary of Art (Grove Art Online)--encyclopedic coverage of all aspects of fine and applied arts, architecture, and artists and architects biographies.
Benezit Dictionary of Artists This link opens in a new window
One of the most comprehensive biographical dictionaries in the field of art history, including coverage of artists across all media, from painters and sculptors to calligraphers, ceramicists, illustrators, installation artists, and performance artists.

Concepts and Problems in Visual Arts
Youtube Playlist for Prof. James Elkins lecture series on the history of visual arts appropriate for first year through MFA students.

FOR ARTICLES AND READINGS

Art Design & Architecture Collection This link opens in a new window
Includes the full-text of many contemporary art magazines (e.g., Artforum International) plus scholarly journals in the visual and performing arts, literature and the humanities.
Art & Architecture Source This link opens in a new window
Citations, abstracts, and full-text coverage for over 780 publications on the subjects of art and art history, antiquities, archaeology, design, architecture, film, and other related subjects. Includes the entirety of the Art Full Text database.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Full text archive of all JSTOR content including scholarly humanities, arts, and social sciences journals. Note: does NOT include the most current 3-5 years.

FOR IMAGES OF ARTWORKS

Artstor This link opens in a new window
Artstor is on the JSTOR platform effective 8/1/24. Digital image gallery with millions of images of works of art from museums, galleries, and private collections, including the Art Institute of Chicago. Artstor also includes AIC Collections, images curated by the Flaxman Library specifically for use in teaching and research at SAIC. Click here for tips on how to use Workspace for organizing images.