REFERENCE SOURCES

Art history is a vast discipline - geographically, historically, and intellectually. In its initial centuries, art history dealt with Western art, but the boundaries of the field have since expanded. The canon continues to be redefined as histories of art in regions that had previously been ignored or marginalized are brought into the mainstream. 

How to keep up with, or identify, all of the core literature of this field? Getting started with topical overviews and summaries written by art historians and experts through library encyclopedias or dictionaries  is a great starting point, followed by looking at published bibliographies (comprehensive lists pointing you to published materials on a topic). 

• Benezit Dictionary of Asian Artists

• Dictionary of Subjects & Symbols in Art 

• The Grove Encyclopedia of American Art 

• The Oxford encyclopedia of archaeology in the Near East 

• The Grove Encyclopedia of Classical Art & Architecture 

• The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture 

• The Grove Encyclopedia of Materials and Techniques in Art 

• The Grove Encyclopedia of Medieval Art and Architecture 

• The Grove Encyclopedia of Northern Renaissance Art 

• Oxford Companion to the Photograph