Research Guides: ARTH 116: Introduction to Renaissance and Early Modern Art: Reference Materials

Reference Resources

Listed on this page are key reference resources that provide a general overview of a topic or help identify synonyms, related terms, or basic data. These sources often include references and lists of further readings.

Online Reference Books

The Oxford Dictionary of Art
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms
The Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists
Britannica Online
The electronic version of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. An excellent starting point for almost any topic of research, the Britannica offers both concise descriptions, and longer, more comprehensive articles on a wide variety of topics.

Major Art History Reference Books

The Dictionary of Art
Call Number: Hatfield Library 2d Floor Stacks N 31 .D5 1996
ISBN: 1884446000
The only comprehensive art reference work in the world. It covers all the visual arts from prehistory to the 1990’s in 34 volumes. This is also available online as Grove Art Online.
The Oxford Companion to Western Art by Hugh Brigstocke (Editor)
Call Number: Hatfield Library Reference N33 .O923 2001
ISBN: 0198662033
Publication Date: 2001
Contains entries on artists and their works, styles and movements, art forms and art terms. This is also available online.
Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art by James Hall; Kenneth Clark (Foreword by)
Call Number: Hatfield Library Reference N7560 .H34 2008
ISBN: 0813343933
Publication Date: 2007-12-25
Emphasizes Christian and classical subject matter from western art of the Renaissance and later. Greek and Roman mythology, classical heroes, legends and ancient history are also included.
Dictionary of Symbols in Western Art
Call Number: Hatfield Library Reference N7740 .C29 1995
ISBN: 0816033013
Allusions in pictures are the topic of this book which is intended to be a guide to the meanings of works of art.
The Grove Encyclopedia of Northern Renaissance Art by Gordon Campbell
Call Number: Hatfield Library Reference N6370 .G76 2009
ISBN: 9780195334661
Publication Date: 2009
Offers the most current and comprehensive scholarly information on the visual arts of the Renaissance in Northern Europe.