Research Guides: Art History: Home

Art & Visual Studies Subject Guide

Jenna Dufour

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Subjects: Art & Art History, Film & Media Studies

Art History Research Guide

Welcome to the Art History Research Guide—a curated gateway to support the scholarly and creative pursuits of Art History undergraduates, MA 4+1 students, Visual Studies PhD candidates, and faculty. Whether you’re delving into exhibition reviews, contemporary art journals, or media and video art, this guide offers pathways into the library’s vast and varied resources. Use the menu on the left to navigate, explore, and discover. If questions arise or you’d like more tailored support, I warmly invite you to reach out or schedule a virtual or in-person consultation.

Check out these resources!

Artforum Archive
The Artforum Archive offers full-text digital access to every issue from 1962 to 2020. Founded in San Francisco with a focus on West Coast artists—countering the dominance of New York-centered publications—Artforum features in-depth coverage of contemporary art, including reviews, essays, columns on film and pop culture, artist commissions, and gallery advertisements.
Art and Architecture E-Portal
A project of Yale University Press, this evolving eBook collection features key works of scholarship in art and art history, including many older print publications. It allows users to search images, create citations, highlight text, read offline, and more. Notably, it provides online access to exhibition catalogs, which are often available only in print.

Writing Resources

A Short Guide to Writing about Art by Sylvan Barnet
Publication Date: 2015

This is an excellent guide for every aspect of writing about art. It covers how to analyze pictures (drawings, paintings, photographs), sculptures and architecture, and tips and tools for presenting ideas through effective writing. Coverage of essential writing assignments includes formal analysis, comparison, the research paper, exhibition reviews, and even writing text panels and other materials.
How to Write about Contemporary Art by Gilda Williams
Publication Date: 2014

This is a great handbook for students on writing eloquently, accurately, and originally about contemporary art. It navigates readers through the key elements of style and content, from the aims and structure of a piece to its tone and language.