Art and Artists

Classification of arts resources

The Dewey Decimal Classification system is used in our libraries.

All arts resources are found in the 700-779 area but within that it is useful to understand the finer numbers e.g. for information on a particular artist or movement or period it is possible to find at least two or three major areas i.e. the general art history area 700-709, the more specific area for the medium e.g. sculpture 730-739, drawing 740-749, painting 750-759, prints 760-769.

A quick guide to Dewey for the arts

• 700 the arts, art history
• 710 civic and landscape art
• 720 architecture
• 730 plastic arts, sculpture
• 740 drawing & decorative arts
• 750 painting
• 760 graphic arts, printmaking
• 770 photography

at an even finer level -

• 703 art dictionaries and encyclopaedias
• 708 galleries, art museums, private collections
• 709 art in particular places and periods
• Painting
  • 751 painting techniques
  • 752 colour
  • 754 genre painting
  • 755 religion in painting
  • 757 human figures in painting
  • 759 historical geographical and people
    • 759.13 United States painting and painters
      e.g. 759.13 POL - books on the painting of Jackson Pollock
    • 759.2 British painting and painters
    • 759.3 German painting and painters
    • 759.4 French painting and painters
    • 759.5 Italian painting and painters
    • 759.6 Spanish painting and painters
    • 759.7 Russian painting and painters
    • 759.8 Scandinavian painting and painters
    • 759.993 New Zealand painting and painters
    • 759.994 Australian painting and painters