LibGuides: Art: Books

Why use books?

They often provide:

The history of a topic, background information, or context for a topic
Greater detail than is possible in a journal article
A visual representation of the artwork you are researching, usually on higher-quality paper

LibSearch: Books & ebooks

General Reference Books

The Concise Dictionary of Art Terms by Michael Clarke
ISBN: 9780199569922
Publication Date: 2010
Covers a wide range of terms from the visual art world including materials, techniques, and important styles and periods.
The Eerdmans Encyclopedia of Early Christian Art and Archaeology by Paul Corby Finney (Editor)
ISBN: 9780802838117
Publication Date: 2017
Draws on archaeological and epigraphic evidence to provide a basic introduction to early Christian architecture, sculpture, painting, mosaic, and portable artifacts created roughly between AD 200 and 600 in Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Encyclopedia of Aesthetics by Michael Kelly (Editor-In-Chief)
ISBN: 9780199747108
Publication Date: 2014
Survey of major concepts, thinkers, and debates about the meaning, uses, and value of all the arts - from painting and sculpture to literature, music, theater, dance, television, film, and popular culture.
Oxford Dictionary of Arts & Artists by Ian Chilvers (Editor)
ISBN: 9780191782763
Publication Date: 2015
Covering Western art from the ancient Greeks to the present day