Finding Images
- Sheridan Libraries
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- Finding Images
- Arts and Humanities
Learn the best methods to identify and utilize images in many fields of study
Featured Image
William Oberhardt, Edgar Allen Poe, from the Billy Rose Theatre Collection photograph file, courtesy of the NYPL Digital Library.
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Search art museum websites in U.S., Canada, and many European countries
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Images from these databases may be used for papers and class presentations, but use is expressly limited to educational activities.
- JSTOR (ARTstor is now in JSTOR)A collection of digital images in the arts, humanities and social sciences.
- Oxford Art OnlineAlthough predominantly a reference source, OAO contains a large number of images of art and cultural objects.
Featured Resources
Among the art-specific databases, Art Full Text and Art Index Retrospective both index artwork illustrations that appear in journals.
To find illustrations via these databases, follow these steps:
- Go to Art Full Text or Art Index Retrospective (you may search them simultaneously if click on "Open databases" when you're in one of them, then check-mark them both)
- Enter a subject or other search term on one line
- Enter the phrase art reproduction and select document type from the drop-down box
The results will include bibliographic citations for artwork illustrations that appear in scholarly journal articles; you may then use FIND IT to locate the appropriate portion of the journal.
For more general tips on finding images in journal articles, see the In Articles portion of this guide.
Architecture
- Cities and Buildings DatabaseThe University of Washington has developed a database of over 10,000 images of buildings and cities from around the world.
- Great Buildings CollectionA database of photographs, drawings, and 3-D models of significant buildings from 1400 to 2005.
- Index of Art Historical SitesOver 17,000 images of architectural sites from around the world, from antiquity to the present. A good source for contemporary buildings.
Art and Art History
- ArtsConnectEdA great source for contemporary art works and educational materials from the Walker Arts Center and the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts.
- Art Images for College Teaching (AICT)A browsable collection of select images from the history of art and architecture, from the ancient to Modern periods.
- Web Gallery of ArtA collection of over 20,000 images of European painting and sculpture from 1100 - 1850 AD.
- Metropolitan Museum of ArtSearch the Met's collectionof objects dating from 8,000 BC to the present day. You can also find more contextual information about the works through the Hellibrun Timeline of Art History. Use is expressly limited to non-commercial, educational purposes.
- BAM/PFA Art CollectionA database of images of works in the collection of the Berkeley Art Museum, with strengths in modern, contemporary, and Asian art.
Classics
- British Museum ImagesCollections of objects and artifacts from around the world. Images files only available in medium resolution.
- Lantern Slides of Classical AntiquityHistorical images of sites from Classical Antiquity.
Literature
- Arts & Literature - New York Public Library Digital GalleryA database of over 700,000 digitized images from the NYPL's collection.
- Catalogue of Digitized Medieval ManuscriptsA searchable database of medieval manuscripts on the web, with links to the sites where you can view the digitized versions.
- Virtual Books from the British LibraryDigitized versions of many historical books from the British Library, including Bibles, William Blake's notebooks, early Jane Austen works, and more.
- Treasures in Full from the British LibraryFull digital versions of hundreds of historic manuscripts, including works by Chaucer and Shakespeare.
- Global Performing Arts Database (GloPAD)A database of over 4,500 images, videos and audio recordings related to performing arts around the world, including images of stage productions, playwrights, and more.
Near-Eastern Studies
- ABZUA guide to open-access data relevant to the study of the Ancient Near East and the Ancient Mediterranean world.
- Global Egyptian MuseumA virtual museum showcasing Egyptian antiquities, including over 6,600 fully objects from 10 European collections.
- InscriptiFactAn image database of ancient inscriptions and artifacts from the Near Eastern and Mediterranean worlds.
- Cuneiform Digital Library InitiativeA searchable database of photographs and illustrations of cuneiform tablets from 3350 BC to the end of the Christian era.