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Artists and Artworks: A Step-by-Step Research Guide: Reference Shelf

step-by-step guide to researching artists and artworks

Catalogues Raisonnés

The International Foundation for Art Research maintains an online catalog of catalogues raisonnés. Use it to find books (catalogues raisonnés) that list all known works by your artist (e.g., Mary Cassatt).

Reference Databases

Featured Reference Book

Background Information: Featured Art Museum Websites

Before attempting to find books and articles related to your work of art, first build your knowledge about the artist who created your object and the style/period associated with it by consulting reference works for background information.

Selected Reference Books

African American artists:

Latinx artists:

Women artists:

African American art:

American art:

Asian art:

Feminist art:

Islamic art:

Latin American art:

Modern art:

Photography:

Western art:

Dictionaries:

Encyclopedia:

Guidebooks and Handbooks:

Introduction:

Bibliography:

Companions and Handbooks:

Dictionaries:

Encyclopedias:

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

Artist as subject:

Introduction:

Companion:

Dictionaries:

Encyclopedias: