Research Guides: Art & Design: Home

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These online resources can be used to find background material on your topic.

Oxford Art Online
Find authoritative information from multiple reference sources, including: biographical information on artists, overviews of art movements, and explanations of art techniques
Metropolitan Museum of Art Timeline of Art History
The Timeline of Art History, a free web resource, is a chronological, geographical, and thematic exploration of the history of art from around the world, as illustrated by the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.
The Art Story: Modern Art Insight
A free web resource focused on the art and artists of the modern era, between 1850 and 1980.
SmartHistory
A free collection of essays and videos focused on the study of art and cultural heritage.
Artsy
Online database of 350,000 images of art, architecture, and design by 50,000 artists spanning historical, modern, and contemporary works.

**Researchers look to reference materials for:**

bibliographies

exhibition histories

biographical information

authoritative background information

Reference Materials
Type	What You'll Find	Examples
encyclopedias	chronological information in-depth descriptions of movements and styles biographical information for artists and designers background information	Encyclopedia of Aesthetics Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Photography Encyclopedia of Native American Artists Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture
dictionaries	definitions of art and design terms biographical information for artists and designers explanations of movements and styles background information	Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms Dictionary of Art Yale Dictionary of Art and Artists Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art Dictionary of Modern Design
indexes	comprehensive lists biographical information for artists and designers information on physical locations of art and design works	Sculpture Index Index to Artistic Biography Historical Art Index, A.D. 400-1650 The Black Artist in America: An Index to Reproductions