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Art History

A research guide for students in the field of Art History.

What is ARTstor?

ARTstor is a digital library of nearly two-million high-quality, authoritative images in the arts, architecture, humanities, and social sciences with a suite of software tools to view, present, and manage images for research and pedagogical purposes. While users can search and view images in ARTstor without setting up an account, registering with ARTstor will enable you to create personal folders, save and export image sets, and more.

How To Find Images In The Library

Here are some clues to help you use the library catalog (LINUS) to find books with images in the library:

  • Include the phrase “pictorial works” in your keyword search. (This will help you find illustration, art, or photography on a wide range of subjects.)
  • Example: Bible AND “pictorial works”. Or “Vietnam War” AND “pictorial works”.
     
  • Include the word “exhibitions” in your keyword search. (This works best when looking for images from a specific artist or movement in art history.)
  • Example: Kandinsky AND exhibitions. Or Black artists AND exhibitions.
     
  • Do a subject search to find indexes of paintings, illustrations, sculptures, or photographs in print.
  • Example: subject search for “painting—indexes”. Or “pictures—indexes.” Or “photographs—indexes.
     
  • Do a subject search using the phrase “in art” following the subject you wish to find imagery of.
  • Example: death in art, dogs in art

A Few Words About Copyright

  • Just because an image is found on the internet, it doesn't mean that it is there for you to use without permission.
  • Although student work can often be considered Fair Use of a copyrighted work, it is good practice to always look for a statement of permissible use and/or a suggested credit line before using the image.
  • Can't find any? If possible, contact the copyright holder to ask permission (hey, it never hurts!), or failing that, find an alternative resource.