Art dictionaries and encyclopaedias - 703

There are lots of specialised art dictionaries and encyclopaedias - these can at the very least help verify the spelling, dates, nationality and significance of an artist. Some give comprehensive biographical information.

The dictionary of art (Grove)

Comprehensive coverage of the history of all the visual arts worldwide, from prehistory to the present. Articles vary in length from a few lines to hundreds of pages. Extensive cross referencing, an index volume and useful bibliographies add to its usefulness. Available online through Oxford Art Online in the Source.

Dictionnaire critique et documentaire des peintres, sculpteurs, dessinateurs et graveurs de tous les temps et de tous les pays / par un groupe d'écrivains spécialistes français et étrangers. Paris: Gründ, 1999.

Whilst in French, this is the most comprehensive world checklist of painters, sculptors, illustrators and engravers. It is very helpful for verifying spelling, dates, nationality, genre and galleries.

Period

Use an encyclopedia to verify the dates and then try the following classification areas.

Art in general
709.01	Arts of non-literate peoples up to 499 AD
709.02	6th - 15th centuries, 500 - 1499
709.03	Modern period, 1500 - 1899
709.04	20th century, 1900 - 1999
709.05	21st century, 2000 - 2099
Painting
759.01	Painting of non-literate peoples up to 499 AD
759.02	500 - 1399
759.03	1400 - 1599
759.04	1600 - 1799
759.05	1800 - 1899
759.06	1900 - 1999
759.07	2000 - 2099

Genre

Genre relates to what the artist painted - be it flowers, people, marinescapes, landscapes, still life, religious subjects.

Try the classification 704 and 754 - 758 for reference and lending books on particular genres.

Art styles and movements

Art styles and movements can be easily found on the libraries' catalogue by using the relevant term as your 'subject'. Books may be spread throughout the arts collection depending on whether they relate to painting, architecture, sculpture or design.

Examples of styles and movements include: Byzantine, Romanesque, gothic, renaissance, baroque, rococo, impressionism, postimpressionism, symbolism, kitsch, art nouveau, arts and crafts, art deco, cubism, expressionism, fauvism, dadaism, pop art.

Nationality

Nationality has a bearing on where a book may be classified. Overviews of the art of a country as well as books on individual artists can be found at the classification 709.3 - 709.9 (art generally) or 759.1 - 759.9 (painting).

Gender

There are some good resources specific to women artists

Galleries - books on specific galleries and their collections - 708 and 759.94

If you know in which gallery the artist is represented use the gallery name as a subject on the catalogue e.g. Uffizi, Museum of Modern Art, Louvre, Prado.

The world's master paintings

A comprehensive listing of works by 1,300 painters and a complete guide to their locations worldwide.

Indexes

The Source

INNZ

This is in the Source. It indexes Art New Zealand from its first volume 1976-, and many other New Zealand arts related magazines - citations only.

Ebscohost

This is in the Source. It provides access to a large range of magazines including art magazines. Some entries are citations only, some give you the full text of the article.

In our libraries

Art New Zealand Index

This is a 3 volume print index to the quarterly magazine Art New Zealand vol 1 - 85.
It provides more detailed access than INNZ but INNZ should be used for vol 86 -
Christchurch City Libraries keeps a full reference run of Art New Zealand.

A journal of their own: an index to Art in New Zealand 1928 - 1946

This is an exhaustive index to an important set of journals. It is excellent for locating information for worthy but lesser known New Zealand artists active between 1928 and 1946.

Art Index

This is an essential key to accessing articles in back issues of art magazines. The latest volumes are kept on the shelf at 705 ART. Please ask for earlier volumes. It covers all the arts - fine, applied, performing, architecture, photography and antiques. It is particularly useful for sourcing coloured reproductions of an artist's work.

World Painting Index

This publication indexes reproductions of paintings that appear in books and catalogues. It is also useful for sourcing paintings of particular subjects e.g. the Madonna, a donkey, trees, sunsets etc.

Art Magazines

Christchurch City Libraries has substantial holdings of some major art magazines both New Zealand and overseas.

The lastest two years of most international magazines can be borrowed. Some are then archived and can be accessed by using Art Index.

The principal sources for information for New Zealand artists are covered in the following magazines.

• Ascent: a journal of the arts in New Zealand (1967-1969)
• Art in New Zealand (1928 - 1946)
• Year book of the arts in New Zealand (1945 - 1949)
• Arts year book (1950 - 1951)
• Art New Zealand 1976 -
  lending copies available for the latest 2 years and a full set kept for reference in Stack 1

New Zealand Artists - 709.93, 759.993 and 769.993

Nineteenth century New Zealand artists: a guide & handbook by Una Platts

This is a reliable list of known artists from this period.

Two hundred years of New Zealand painting by Gil Docking; with additions by Michael Dunn covering 1970 - 90

These two volumes provide a comprehensive survey of painting in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The concise dictionary of New Zealand artists, printers, printmakers sculptors by Kate McGahey

This covers entries for artists from the 19th century to the present

Māori Artists - 704.03994

Also included with New Zealand artists 709.993, New Zealand painters 759.993 and New Zealand printmakers 769.993.

British artists - 704.042, 708.2, 709.41, 709.42 and 759.2

Good reference sources include:

• The dictionary of Victorian painters
• The dictionary of British watercolour artists up to 1920
• The dictionary of British 18th century painters in oils and crayons
• The dictionary of 16th and 17th century British painters
• A companion to Victorian and Edwardian artists
• Dictionary of sea painters
• Dictionary of British artists working 1900 - 1950
• Dictionary of British equestrian artists
• The Society of Women exhibitors, 1855-1996 : a dictionary of artists and their works in the Annual Exhibitions of the Society of Women Artists
• Royal Academy exhibitors, 1971-1989 : a dictionary of artists and their work in the summer exhibitions of the Royal Academy of Arts
• New English Art Club exhibitors 1886-2001 : a dictionary of artists and their works in the annual exhibitions of the New English Art Club