LibGuides: History of Art and Architecture Resources: Reference Works

Selected Art & Architecture Reference Resources

On this page you will find just a few of the many reference resources available from the Brown library. Please be aware that many more may be found by searching BruKnow or consulting with your librarian.

Encyclopedias & Dictionaries: General Resources

A great place to start for general information on artists, movements, sites, and more is this online encyclopedia, which covers all cultures and time periods:

Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new window
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Oxford's art reference works, prehistory to the-present.
Prehistory to the-present; Oxford Art Online provides web access to the entire text of Grove Art and The Dictionary of Art along with several other art resources such as The Oxford Companion to Western Art, Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, and The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms.

School Library, Awra Amba, Ethiopia. After 1980. Photograph by Alexander Savin via Creative Commons license.

Encyclopedias & Dictionaries: American Art

The Oxford Dictionary of American art and artists
In this dictionary of American art, 945 alphabetically arranged entries cover painters, sculptors, graphic artists, photographers, printmakers, and contemporary hybrid artists, along with important aspects of the cultural infrastructure.

Encyclopedias & Dictionaries: Classical World

The Oxford Dictionary of the Classical World
Online dictionary, includes art among many other topics.
Grove Encyclopedia of Classical Art and Architecture
Comprehensive reference source for visual arts of the Classical period.

Ara Pacis: Tellus. Rome, 13-9 BCE. Photograph by Brooke Hammerle. Luna Collection.

Encyclopedias & Dictionaries: Architecture

Architect's Illustrated Pocket Dictionary
Dictionary of architectural terms, well illustrated.
Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT)
Comprehensive vocabulary describing information on fine art, architecture, decorative art, and material culture. This is the place to go for succinct definitions of terms relating to art and architecture. Freely available from the Getty.
A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
By James Steven Curl. Electronic resource from Oxford.
Fundamental Concepts of Architecture: The Vocabulary of Spatial Situations
Describes architectural terms in depth.

SAH Archipedia This link opens in a new window
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Authoritative online encyclopedia of the built world published by the Society of Architectural Historians and the University of Virginia Press.
SAH Archipedia is an authoritative online encyclopedia of the built world published by the Society of Architectural Historians and the University of Virginia Press, and contains histories, photographs, and maps for more than 14,000 structures and places. These are mostly buildings, but as you explore SAH Archipedia you will also find landscapes, infrastructure, monuments, artwork, and more. Currently, the content of SAH Archipedia is drawn from the award-winning book series, Buildings of the United States, and includes histories and thematic essays from fifteen of the published BUS volumes: Massachusetts (Metropolitan Boston), Rhode Island, Pennsylvania (Eastern and Western), the District of Columbia, Virginia (Tidewater and Piedmont), West Virginia, Michigan, Iowa, Colorado, Nevada, Alaska, Hawaii, Texas and Vermont. This cross-section of the country demonstrates the richness and diversity of architecture and building practice across many centuries, from mud brick to steel, from ancient cliff dwellings to contemporary office towers. The SAH Archipedia will continue to grow as new states are added.

Encyclopedias, Dictionaries & Handbooks: Film

Please see the Reference Materials page of our Guide to Film and Video Resources:

Film & Video Resources: Reference Materials
Page from the library's guide to Video and Film Resources with selected reference materials from the collection.

Encyclopedias & Dictionaries: Global Art & Architecture

Encyclopedia of Africa
In-depth reference source covering prominent individuals, events, trends, places, political movements, art forms, business and trade, religions, ethnic groups, organizations, and countries throughout Africa.
Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture
Deals with all aspects of Islamic art and architecture across the globe.
New Encyclopedia of Africa
A general encyclopedia in which the arts and architecture of Africa are included. Published 2008.

Unknown artisan. Feast Bowl. Papua New Guinea, wood, ca. 1800. Los Angeles County Museum of Art via Creative Commons license.

Encyclopedias & Dictionaries: Medieval Art

Brill's Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages
General encyclopedia that includes art and architecture among many other topics.
Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages
A collaborative work of over 600 scholars from more than forty countries, the Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages provides 3,000 concise and detailed articles on all aspects of the period from the fifth to the fifteenth century.

Encyclopedias & Dictionaries: Modern & Contemporary Art

A Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Art
This updated dictionary of modern and contemporary art contains over 2,000 entries on a vast range of subjects, including movements, styles, techniques, artists, critics, schools, and galleries. Fascinating, comprehensive, and authoritative, it is a useful A-Z guide for art students and teachers, artists, and art lovers.

Biographical Dictionaries on Artists

Benezit Dictionary of Artists
Familiarly known as Bénézit. This is the English language version of another standard reference: Dictionnaire critique et documentaire des peintres, sculpteurs, dessinateurs et graveurs. Online version available through Oxford Art Online.
Union List of Artist Names (ULAN)
Database of over 100,000 artists and architects, including biographical and bibliographical information, variant names and more. Freely available on the web from the Getty Information Institute.

Ebook Collections

MuseumsEtc Collection This link opens in a new window
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Ebook collection for Museum Studies. Includes over 60 titles for academics and museum professionals.
Current; MuseumsEtc shares innovation in museum practice worldwide, drawing on the international experience of hundreds of leading museums and galleries in such key areas as inclusion, interpretation, learning, management, new media, and visitor engagement.

The digital platform is specifically designed for use in academic and professional contexts. Museum and gallery professionals, university staff, museum studies departments, and university libraries will find the Collection of 60+ titles delivers unprecedented ease-of-use and knowledge access.