History of Art

Academic Liaison Librarian: Clare White 

How the resources for my subject are arranged and what the shelf locations mean

Printed Books

The following is a summary of the main subject divisions relevant to History of Art as arranged in the Library. It is not a comprehensive list of all subjects covered. In the Fine Arts, the books are shelved in the following sequence: ordinary size books L - LL, followed by Quarto [Oversize] books L - LL. The Folio [Very large] books L - LL are with all the L folios by the windows at the very end of the shelving on the top floor. Books on the general history of a particular country and period are in the History (Q) section of the Library on the second floor.

L FINE ARTS
L 1 Art: theory
L 4.94 Art: special subjects
Subdivided according to subject, eg:
L 4.942 Human figure
L 4.949H Political art
L 8 Art collections: galleries and museums
Subdivided by country, eg:
L 8.4 France: art galleries and museums
L 8.4 MUS The Louvre
L 9 Art: history
Subdivided by periods and countries, eg:
L 9.03 Renaissance Art
L 9.42 English Art
LA Landscape and Civic Art
eg. LA 2 Landscape gardening
LB Architecture
Subdivided by periods and countries, eg:
LB 0.945 Italy: architecture
LB 3 Medieval architecture
LC Architectural construction
LD Building construction
LE Interior decoration
LF Folk Art, including calligraphy, sewing, glass, furniture, etc.
LG Sculpture
Subdivided by periods and countries. Individual sculptors are included under the country of their birth, eg:
LG 0.942 English sculpture
LG 0.942 MOO Henry Moore
LH Drawing, including individual cartoonists, illustrators, etc.
LJ Painting
Subdivided by schools of painting, history of painting according to country. Individual painters are included under the country of their birth, eg:
LJ 7 Portrait painting
LJ 9.2 England: painting
LJ 9.4 France: painting
LJ 9.2 HOG Hogarth
LJ 9.4 MON Monet
LK Graphic Arts
LL Photography

Printed Journals

The printed journals are shelved at the end of the books in the L section after LT. The journal sequence for Fine Art runs from L-LL.

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Where to search for journal articles

  • MetaLib (York users only)
    A gateway to bibliographic databases, image databases, electronic journals and other Web resources available to members of the University. Includes guides and links to help.
    • To view a list of resources specific to your subject, click on the subjects listed under Sub Categories
    • To view a list of electronic journals subscribed to by the University of York, click on the Find e-journal tab followed by e-journal list. Note: all electronic journals can also be accessed via the library catalogue

Two important resources for History of Art which can be accessed via MetaLib are:

  • ARTstor: a repository of thousands of digital images and relating data which are copyright-cleared for use in academic study
  • JSTOR: a digital archive of scholarly journals allowing access to the full-text online

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How to search for journal articles

Academic Liaison Librarians have written workbooks to help you develop your skills in searching for information resources for your coursework or research.

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What useful websites and reference sources are there for my subject?

Directories of Art History Resources

A number of these gateways provide access to the same or similar sites but all are selective using different criteria and they offer different ways of searching.

  • Art and Architecture - The Art and Architecture website is designed to be explored. There are more than 40,000 images here, and a network of over half a million links. There are amazing and wonderful things to find, and any number of ways of finding them.
  • ArtCyclopedia - the fine art search engine - It's mission is to become the most effective guide to museum-quality fine art on the Internet. It can be searched by artist, subject, medium, etc.
  • ArtHist - ArtHist is part of H-Net - Humanities and Social Sciences Online. It provides a forum for public discussion, reviews of books and periodicals and links to art history libraries, institutions and online resources. An inter-university project in Germany, some information is available in English but most reviews are in German.
  • Art History Resources on the Web - A quality website taking you into material on all aspects and ages of art and including links to visual resources in museums and galleries all over the world as well as ongoing research.
  • Artnet.com - Sections on artists' biographies, materials and techniques, and styles and movements. Many, though not all, of the articles are abridged extracts from the Grove Dictionary of Art.
  • Art Renewal Center - An encyclopedic collection of essays, biographies and articles by top scholars in the field. Contains thousands of high quality images of paintings and sculptures.
  • ArtSource - A gathering point for networked resources on Art and Architecture. A lot of interesting links here.
  • AskART - Extensive information about 30,000 American artists, also museums, etc.
  • Axis - A national online resource for information about contemporary art and artists in the UK. Funded by the arts councils of England, Scotland and Wales.
  • CODART - Dutch and Flemish art in museums.
  • d'ART - A collaberative network compiled by artists, collectors and dealers to help people find and research art. Includes a discussion forum.
  • Digital Imaging Project - Historical art images of sculpture and architecture from the pre-historic to the post-modern.
  • GreatBuildings   - A wealth of information on the world of architecture. This site documents buildings and architects with photographic images and architectural drawings, integrated maps and timelines, 3D building models, commentaries, bibliographies, web links, and more. It includes famous designers and structures of all kinds.
  • HEIRPORT - Historic Environment Information Resources Portal, developed by the Archaeological Data Service.
  • Intute: Arts & Humanities - An information gateway to quality-assured resources on the Internet selected by a network of UK universities for academic use. Covers art, design, architecture and media, as well as a range of humanities subjects. Recommended.
  • The Labyrinth - Resources for medieval studies, including sections on art, architecture, decorative arts, furniture, gardens, etc.
  • Mother of All Art History Links Pages - Includes research resources, image collections, samples of art history departments and museums. This is Art History in a wide sense of the term. It provides access to subject areas as well as periods of art history. Recommended.
  • Olga's Gallery - A very comprehensive collection which includes more modern artists. The background texts should be used with caution.
  • VADS Visual Arts Data service - The Visual Arts Data Service is part of the Arts and Humanities Data Service (AHDS). It provides access to visual arts digital resources based on the collections of a wide range of archives, museums, and other institutions.
  • Web Gallery of Art - A virtual museum and searchable database of European painting and sculpture from 12th to mid-19th centuries. Search by time, artist, location, or browse by artist; biographies of artists are included, and sometimes more detailed information on individual works of art.
  • World Wide Arts Resources - An interactive arts gateway giving access to artists, museums, galleries, high quality art, art history and discussion forums.

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Galleries & Collections

Listed below is a very brief sample of collections. Many more can be accessed through the gateways listed under Directories of Art History Resources on these web pages.

  • Art Guide - The Internet guide to art collections in Britain and Ireland. Contains details of all the art collections in more than 650 institutions - plus 1,900 artists and their works on display, and hundreds of exhibitions. It is being expanded and updated every week.
  • Art Museums - Lists of key works held in major art museums around the world. Links to some museum websites are supplied.
  • Bridgeman Art Library - A commercial art library working with museums, art galleries and artists to make the best art available for reproduction. Useful biographies of contemporary artists and good descriptions of works of art with added keywords to aid searching.
  • COLLAGE (City of London Library and Art Gallery Electronic) - Provides access to 20,000 images from the Guildhall Art Gallery and the Print Room of the Guildhall Library. Users can browse under suggested "Themes" or do general searches.
  • Courtauld Institute of Art - One of the world's leading institutes for teaching and research in the history of art and conservation. The website provides access to the Courtauld Institute library catalogue.
  • The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge - The online database has extensive search functions including a "browse random objects" option for a taste of what the museum holds.
  • Henry Moore Foundation - Set up and endowed by the artist himself in 1977 'to advance the education of the public by the promotion of their appreciation of the fine arts and in particular the works of Henry Moore'.
  • The Getty - One of the largest supporters of the arts in the world, the J. Paul Getty Trust is an international cultural, educational, and philanthropic organization focused on the visual arts, serving both general audiences and specialized professionals.
  • The Metropolitan Museum of Art - The online collection contains around 6,500 objects, including highlights from each of the Museum's curatorial departments as well as the entire Department of European Paintings and the entire Department of American Paintings and Sculpture.
  • The National Gallery - The entire permanent collection and long-term loans are illustrated and described in the collection online.
  • National Portrait Gallery - The online database contains information for about 10000 works. They can be searched for by name of an artist, a sitter or the title of a painting.
  • NICE Paintings - The National Inventory of Continental European Paintings is an online database of pre-1900 oil paintings in the UK's public collections. 8,000 paintings have been added so far, principally those in smaller, regional collections. When complete, the database will provide access to images and details of 22,000 continental European paintings. The database is available via the Visual Arts Data Service.
  • Royal Academy of Arts Permanent Collections Catalogue  - The website enables you to search and explore the RA's collections of paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, historic books, archives, historic photographs and plaster casts. It is also possible to browse the collections via the Names A-Z and Academicians links.
  • The Smithsonian American Art Museum - America's first federal art collection, dedicated to the enjoyment and understanding of American art.
  • Tate Online - Incorporating all of the Tate Galleries.
  • Victoria and Albert Museum - The online database contains information for over 27,000 works and 43,000 images from the V&A's collections, including ceramics, fashion, furniture, glass, metalwork, paintings, photographs, prints, sculpture, and textiles.
  • York Art Gallery - A local collection which spans more than 600 years and ranges from 14th century Italian panels and 17th century Dutch masterpieces to Victorian narrative paintings and 20th century works by LS Lowry and David Hockney.

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Societies & Organisations

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Libraries, Archives & Reference Works

  • Borthwick Institute for Archives - One of the largest archive repositories outside London.
  • British Library - The UK's national library.
  • Catholic Encyclopedia - Reference source for all aspects of Christian iconography and history. Note that entries from the printed version are gradually being added online by volunteers and that this online resource is not complete. The print version is available in the RBL reading room at C 82 NEW.
  • LibDex - Links to library catalogues worldwide.
  • The National Archives - The official archive for England, Wales and the central UK government. Includes the ARCHON Directory of contact details of record repositories in the UK.
  • National Art Library - Major public reference library based at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
  • Patron Saints Index - Comprehensive list and brief biographies of saints. Lists both alphabetical and by subject; highly cross-referenced.
  • Texts and Calendars - A guide to holdings in York.
  • The Warburg Institute Library - The Warburg Institute of the University of London exists principally to further the study of the classical tradition. The library holds material on European thought, literature, art and institutions deriving from the ancient world.
  • York City Archives - An archive of records and documents covering 500 years of life in York.

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General Art History Services

  • Artinfo - The Art Sales Index has the most accurate auction data on the market with over 3.5 million auction records dating back to the 1920s for paintings, prints, photographs, sculpture, works on paper, and miniatures. There are over 200,000+ artist records, all extensively researched. Artinfo also offers quality images at no additional charge.
  • CAA Reviews online - Critical reviews of books, exhibitions, and projects in all areas and periods of art history and visual studies published by the College Art Association.
  • TASI - digital image resources - A useful point of access to digital image libraries. Search by topic or library.

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Resources in the Library