Research Guides: Art Business: Finding Art & Art History Sources

Art and Art History Databases (via Claremont Colleges Library)

For access you will need to log in using your CGU Network login

Art Full Text This link opens in a new window
Why search here? The main database for Art research, including art scholarship about all time periods and geographies.
Content type: Scholarly articles, trade journal articles, magazine articles
Coverage dates: 1900s-present
Also includes content on museum studies, graphic arts, industrial design, landscape architecture, television and motion pictures
Language: English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, etc.
ARTbibliographies Modern This link opens in a new window
Why search here? Good starting point for finding articles, both scholarly and popular, on modern and contemporary art (19th century to present).
Content type: Scholarly articles, trade journal articles, magazine articles
Coverage dates: 1960s-present
Beyond fine arts, includes publications that discuss graffiti, theatre arts, crafts, museums, and art conservation.
Language: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, etc.
Keywords: Art Bibliographies
Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new window
Why search here? Good for scholarly background information and bibliographies on artists, artistic movements, and artistic terms.
Content type: Encyclopedia articles, bibliographies, images
Special Note: Limited to 3 simultaneous users.
Our subscription does not include content from Benezit Dictionary of Artists.
Language: English
Keywords: Grove's Dictionary of Art
JSTOR Images This link opens in a new window
Why search here? The future home of ARTstor, this database is the main resource for finding high-resolution art images from all periods and regions.
Content type: Images
Beyond fine arts, the database does include images of historical documents, textiles, architecture, and other historical objects.
Language: English
Keywords: Art Stor Digital Library

Beyond the Databases listed here, check out the full list of Art Resources available at the Claremont Colleges:

Complete List of Art Databases

Find Art Images

JSTOR Images This link opens in a new window
Why search here? The future home of ARTstor, this database is the main resource for finding high-resolution art images from all periods and regions.
Content type: Images
Beyond fine arts, the database does include images of historical documents, textiles, architecture, and other historical objects.
Language: English
Keywords: Art Stor Digital Library

Wikimedia Commons
Database of over 34 million freely usable media files. Keep in mind that anyone can contribute to this resource.

Tip: Also try searching museum image collections, some of which provide high-quality image downloads. Some examples are:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Getty Museum
The National Gallery
Tate Modern

Additionally, be sure to use art responsibly and check the image's copyright.

Find Art Books

Books are an essential part of art and art history research. Three of the most common types of art books are:

Monographs - books about a single artist's work

Exhibition Catalogs - books documenting a museum or gallery exhibition

Catalogues Raisonnés - books that document all the known works by a single artist

Use the Library Search on the Library's Homepage to find these and other types of art/art history books.

Library Search
Find books, and other materials the library owns or has access to (books, journal articles, DVDs, etc).

SEARCH HINT: About 1/2 of all the art books in the library are oversized and are on a different set of shelves--look for the word FOLIO to find them.

SEARCH HINT 2: to find exhibition catalogs, add the keyword "exhibitions" to your search

To borrow books we don't own or that are checked out, use the "Get This Item" button to have the book delivered from another library.