The Western Libraries       Iconography: A Guide to Resources

Understanding the art and artist in historical and cultural context, as well as the styles, trends, characteristics and design elements common within specific art movements, will assist in looking at, and interpreting art. This research guide is designed to lead you to selected resources both in the library and on the Internet, which provide an overview of the use and interpretation of symbols in art.

Search the Catalog using Library of Congress Subject Headings:

Art Information on the Internet
Reference N59.J66 1999

Dictionary of Art.  New York: Grove's Dictionaries, 1996. 34 vols.
Reference N31.D5 1996, Grove Art Online
     Authoritative, extensive coverage of all facets of the discipline.  Signed articles provide bibliographical data, and are often illustrated. Article contents provide overview information, biographical data, criticism or discussion of an artists work, as well as discussion of art movements, themes, etc.  The Index, Volume 34, cross references additional material.

Encyclopedia of World Art.  New York: McGraw-Hill, 1959-1987.
Reference N31.E533

Art History Resources on the Web   http://witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHLinks.html
     This comprehensive site, compiled by Dr. Christopher L. C. E.  Witcombe, Sweet Briar College, is arranged by time period, geographic region or culture, and by art movement.

Getty Provenance Index Online
http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/provenance/
     "The Getty Provenance Index, a project of the Getty Research Institute, accumulates and disseminates information related to the history of collecting and the provenance of individual works of art. Maintaining several electronic databases as well as non automated material on the history of ownership of works of art (primarily European paintings) gathered from sales catalogues, archival records, and museum files."

IconClass
http://www.iconclass.nl/
     "ICONCLASS is a subject specific international classification system for iconographic research and the documentation of images... ICONCLASS is a collection of ready-made definitions of objects, persons, events, situations and abstract ideas that can be the subject of an image. ICONCLASS organizes iconography into 10 'main divisions' in which the definitions are ordered hierarchically."

Internet History Sourcebooks
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/
     A compilation of  historical documents, organized by Ancient, Medieval, and Modern western history, with specialized sourcebooks on Indian, East Asian, Islamic, and Jewish history. This site provides a comprehensive overview of the history, religion, cultural and daily life of each period.  Compiled by Paul Halsall, Fordham University.
 
 

Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, and Handbooks Discussing Symbols and Themes in Art

For a good overview, begin with:
Encyclopedia of Comparative Iconography: Themes Depicted in Works of Art.  Ref. N7560.E53 1998

Index Iconologicus
Wilson 2W - Microfiche   N7525.I532, Wilson 2W-Microform Index  N7525.I532 guide
     "This iconographic index includes more than 60,000 entries, and spans the major periods of art and literary history with a concentration on sixteenth- and seventeenth century prints. The earliest imprint is 1250 and the most recent is 1940. In addition to photographic reproductions of artistic works, the index contains a wealth of literary, historical, and bibliographic information." " Each entry is arranged alphabetically by keyword. Assigned keywords are based on the most significant aspect of each imprint."
   

Dictionaries
A Dictionary of Asian Mythology  
Reference BL1005.L46 2001

Dictionary of Symbols
Reference GR931 .C4413 1996

A Dictionary of Symbols
Reference BF1623.S9.C513 1971
This book describes major symbols encountered in the arts and in the history of ideas.  The arrangement is alphabetical.

Dictionary of Symbols
Reference  BL603.L5413 1991

Dictionary of Symbols and Imagery
Reference BF 1623.S9.V74 1976
     Descriptive entries of symbols, allegories, metaphors, signs, and images are given under substantive subject entries.

 The Dictionary of Symbols in Western Art
Reference N7740.C29 1995
An introduction to the meanings of works of art from the late Middle Ages to modern times. Cross-references, footnotes in the margin, illustrations, an index of artists and supplementary words are included.

Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art
Reference N7560.H34 1979
     A dictionary of persons, picture titles and attributes and objects in Christian and classical art.

 Illustrated Dictionary of Symbols in Eastern and Western Art
Reference  N7560.H342 1994
     Divided into six sections according to subject.  Includes illustrations and an index with cross-references.

Symbols:  Signs and Their Meaning and Uses in Design
AZ108.W45 1971
 

Encyclopedias
Encyclopedia of Comparative Iconography: Themes Depicted in Works of Art
Reference  N7560.E53 1998
     "Provides an analysis of over 100 selected themes that reflect the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of scholarly and academic work through the use of various iconographical sources. The alphabetical arrangement facilitates  browsing, while the six indexes provide multiple access by considering, among others, references to the Bible; Judeo-Christian personages, places and concepts; and artists and works of art".

An Encyclopedia of Archetypal Symbolism
Ref. BL603.E53 1991
     Works of art, ritual images and artifacts from sacred traditions all over the world, with written accounts of the context and meaning of each image.  Commentary, bibliography, and a glossary included.

Encyclopedia of Themes and Subjects in Painting; Mythological, Biblical, Historical, Literary, Allegorical and Topical
ND1288.D3 1971

 Oxford Guide to Classical Mythology in the Arts, 1300-1990’s
Reference NX650.M9.R45 1993
     An encyclopedia of interdisciplinary art resources relating to deities, heroes, events, and places from classical mythology.  Arranged alphabetically by subject, followed by a chronological listing of artworks.

Handbooks
Art in the Ancient World:  A Handbook of Styles and Forms
Ref. N5345.A88

Signs & Symbols in Christian Art
Ref. N7830.F37
 

Logos, Trademarks, American Design

American Trademark Designs: A Survey with 732 Marks, Logos, and Orporate-identity Symbols
T223.V4 A217

The Classified Directory of Artists' Signatures, Symbols & Monograms:  American Artists with U.K. Additions

Communication by Design; A Study in Corporate Identity
T325 .P55

A Forest of Signs: Art in the Crisis of Representation
Oversize N6512.5.F5 F67 1989

Inside the Word = Au c{182}ur du Mot
NC1002.L63 A645 2001

TM: Trademarks Designed by Chermayeff & Geismar.
NC1003.C547 2000

Trademarks of the 20's and 30's
NC998.5.A1 B35 1985


 

Methodology - Looking at Art

 The Art of Art History: A Critical Anthology
N7480.A79 1998

Artwriting
N7476.C37 1987
     Explores the development of recent art criticism giving descriptions of historical narratives and theories of arts presentness.

Color and Meaning: Art, Science, and Symbolism
ND1488.G344 1999

The Culture Vulture:  A Guide to Style, Period, and ism
Reference N 7560.D86 1994

Drawing Us In, How We Experience Visual Art
N62.D73 2000

Eyewitnessing: The Uses of Images As Historical Evidence
H61.H83 2001

 Iconology: Image,Text,Ideology
N7565.M5 1986

Iconography, Propaganda, and Legitimization
N8236.P5 I36 1998

Languages of Art; An Approach to a Theory of Symbols
BH301.S8 G6

Learning to Look; A Handbook for the Visual Arts
N5305.T3

Likeness and Presence: A History of the Image Before the Era of Art
N7850.B4513 1994

The Methodologies of Art: An Introduction
N7480.A32 1996

Representation and Meaning in the Visual Arts:  A Study in the  Methodology of Iconography and Iconology
N71.H4

A Short Guide to Writing About Art
Reference  N7476.B37 2000
Wilson 6 West N7476.B37 1993
A brief guide to writing papers on art from a one page analysis to twenty page research papers. There are illustrations and a wide range of examples showing critical approaches.

Sign, Image, Symbol
N7430.K47

Signs, Symbols, and Ornaments
NK1520.S613 1982

Studies in Iconography
NX1.S84   21 vols.

Visual Theory: Painting and Interpretation
N7443.2.V57 1991
     A book of lectures focusing on two major theories of visual representation.  Position one states that representation is a matter of convention, not essence as defined by the historical convention. Position two defines representation as the essence of art based on perceptual and phenomenological assumptions.

 

Iconography by Periods &  Styles

Ancient

Ancient Greek Art and Iconography
N5633.A53 1985

Art in the Ancient World:  A Handbook of Styles and Forms
Ref. N5345.A88

Classical
Cassell Dictionary of Classical Mythology
Reference  BL715.M37 1998

Dictionary of Classical Mythology:  Symbols, Attributes & Associations
Reference  BL715.B44 1982

Gods and Heroes of Classical Antiquity
N7760.A34 1996

The Oxford Guide to Classical Mythology in the Arts, 1300-1990s
Reference NX650.M9 R45 1993

Byzantine
Art and Eloquence in Byzantium.  Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, 1981.
N7852.5 .M34  

Early Christian & Byzantine Art
N7832.L693 1997

Painting the Soul:  Icons, Death Masks, and Shrouds
N8187.C67 1997

Transfigurations:  Studies in the Dynamics of Byzantine Iconography
ND142.C87

Medieval
Allegories of the Virtues and Vices in Mediaeval Art from Early Christian Times to the Thirteenth Century
N7740.K313

Animals in Art and Thought to the End of the Middle Ages
Oversize  N7660.K55 1971

Antichrist in the Middle Ages:  A Study of Medieval Apocalysticim, Art, and Literature
BT985.E46

The Gothic Idol: Ideology and Image-making in Medieval Art
BV153.E85 C35 1989

The Gothic Image; Religious Art in France of the Thirteenth Century
N7949.M313 1958

Image on the Edge: The Margins of Medieval Art
N5975.C36 1992

 Images of Lust: Sexual Carvings on Medieval Churches
NB1952.E76 W45 1999

Religious Art in France, XIII Century; A Study in Mediaeval Iconography and its Sources of Inspiration
N7949.A1 M3513 1913

The Secular Spirit:  Life and Art at the End of the Middle Ages
N5963.N4 N46

The "Things of Greater Importance":  Bernard of Clairvaux's Apologia and the Medieval Attitude Toward Art
N7850.R8 1990

Renaissance
The Art of Renaissance Rome, 1400-1600
N6920.P28 1996

The Survival of the Pagan Gods; The Mythological Tradition and its Place in Renaissance Humanism and Art
BR135.S483

Symbolic Images
N6370.G58 1972

Modern
Seventeenth Century
Baroque and Rococo Pictorial Imagery. The 1758-60 Hertel edition of Ripa's 'Iconologia.'
N7740.R515 1971

Studies in Seventeenth Century Imagery
N7740.P7214 1964

Eighteenth Century
American Icons:  Transatlantic Perspectives on Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century American Art
ND207.A678 1992

 Emblem and Expression: Meaning in English Art of the Eighteenth Century
N6766.P38 1975

Nineteenth Century
 Modern Arts Criticism
Reference N 40.M63 v.1-4
     A biographical and critical guide to painters, sculptors, photographers, and architects from the beginning of the modern era to the present.  Presents commentary on modern artists.

Symbolist Art
N6465.S9 L8 1972b

Twentieth Century
Abstraction and Artifice in Twentieth Century Art
N6490.O73

Capacity: History, the World, and the Self in Contemporary Art and Criticism
N6490.M34 1996

Explorations: the Visual Arts Since 1945
N6490.H635 1991

Investigating Modern Art
N6490.I55 1996

Pop Culture & Graphic Art
American corporate identity
T223.V1 A56 1987

American trademark designs: a survey with 732 marks, logos, and corporate-identity symbols
T223.V4 A217

The best new U.S. & international label designs
Oversize  NC1002.L3 W35 1987

The big book of corporate identity design
Oversize NC1002.L63 B54 2001

Board: Surf, Skate, Snow Graphics
NC1002.S66 B87 1998

Brand identity for television: with knobs on
Oversize NC1002.L63 L36 1997 

Communication by design; a study in corporate identity
T325.P55

The corporate search for visual identity; a study of fifteen outstanding corporate design programs.
4 West Oversize T325 .R67

Design coordination and corporate image
T324.H45

Label design; evolution, function, and structure of label. With 1000 illustrations
Oversize NC1003 .H8513

 Magazine logotypes
Oversize T325.M36 1986

Marken und Signete: 471 Firmenzeichen und Suchutzmarken, Namenszuge, Exlibris und Monogramme.
Oversize T273.V2 F5

 Marks of excellence: the function and variety of trademarks
Oversize T325.M65 1997

The new American logo
NC1002.L63 R666 1994

Packaging graphics
Oversize NC1002.P33 P455 2000

Pentagram: the work of five designers. l'Oeuvre de cinq designers: fünf Designer und ihre Arbeiten
T324.P46

Sense: the art and science of creating lasting brands
Oversize NC1002.L63 S45 2004

Seven designers look at trademark design
Oversize T325.J3

Signs, Brands, Marks. Fotos: AndréMuelhaupt
GT3910.B83 1971b

Symbols of America
Oversize T223.V2 M7 1986

TM : trademarks designed by Chermayeff & Geismar
NC1003.C547 2000

 

Iconography by Culture / Religion

General
Art, Creativity, and the Sacred: An Anthology in Religion and Art
N72.R4 A77 1995

Encyclopedia of Women in Religious Art
Reference N7793.W65 A66 1998

The Iconography of Landscape:  Essays on the Symbolic Representation, Design, and Use of Past Environments
NX650.L34.I26 1988

Iconography of Religions: An Introduction
Reference N7790.M65 1977

The Occult in Art
N7745.O55 G47 1979
 

Near East and Far East Asian Art - General
The Art of Indian Asia, Its Mythology and Transformations
oversize N7301.Z49

Companion Encyclopedia of Asian Philosophy
Reference B121.C66 1997

Legend in Japanese Art:  A Description of Historical Episodes, Legendary Characters, Folk-lore Myths, Religious Symbolism, Illustrated in the Arts of Old Japan
oversize N7350.J75 1967

Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization
BL2003.Z5 1972

Oriental Art: A Handbook of Styles and Forms
Reference  N7260.G6713 1980
  A dictionary of Asian, Buddhist and Islamic art.

Stupa : art, architectonics and symbolism : English version of Indo-Tibetica I, Mchod-rten and tsha-tsha in Indian and Western Tibet : contribution to a study of Tibetan religious art and its significance
 BQ5125.S8 T83 1988

Yung-ho-kung: An Iconography of the Lamaist Cathedral in Peking: with notes on Lamaist mythology and cult, volume one
Oversize NA6047.P4 L4 1954

Buddhist Art
Buddhism
N8193.A4 L6813 1995

Buddhist Iconography
BQ4630.B83 1988

Elements of Buddhist Iconography
N7302.C65 1972

Encyclopedia of Buddhism
BL1403.E5 3 vols.

The Iconography of Chinese Buddhism in Traditional China
N8193.C6.O57 1986

Iconography of the Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains
N8190.G86 1980.

 Reading Buddhist Art: an illustrated guide to Buddhist signs and symbols
Ref. N8193 .M39 2002

  
Christian Art (search the Library Catalog for: Christian Art and Symbolism)
 Anglo-Saxon Crucifixion Iconography and the Art of the Monastic Revival
N6763.R38 1990

Art and the Roman Viewer: The Transformation of Art From the Pagan World to Christianity
N5760.E48 1995
     Discusses early Christian themes and motives.

The Bestiary of Christ
BV168.A5 C4813 1992

The Bible and the Saints
BS513.2.D8313 1994

The Birth of Western Painting; A History of Color, Form, and Iconography, Illustrated from the Paintings of Mistar and Mount Athos, of Giotto and Duccio, and El Greco
Oversize ND53.B9 1968

Christian Iconography; The History of Christian Art in the Middle Ages
N7832 .D4913 1965  2 vols.

Christian Iconography; A Study of its Origins
N7832.G6613

Encyclopedia of Monasticism
Reference BL631.E63 2000  2 vols.

Encyclopedia of Saints
Reference  BX4655.8.J6213 1995 Legends of the Madonna As represented in the Fine Arts
ND8070.J36 1972

The Gothic Visionary Perspective
NX650.A6.N64

Iconography of Christian Art
N7830.S3513  2 vols.

Iconography of the Counter Reformation in the Netherlands: Heavan on Earth
N6946.K513 1974 2 vols.

The Language of Canaan:  Metaphor and Symbol in New England From the Puritans to the Transcendentalists
PS243.L6

Legends of the Monastic orderes As represented in the Fine Arts.  Boston:  Houghton Mifflin Co., 1900,
N8080.J4 1900

Myth and Religion in European Painting, 1270-1700:  The Stories as the Artists Knew Them
ND1288.B47 1973

 The Oxford Companion to Christian Art and Architecture
N7830.M87 1996

The Resurrection of the Body in Western Christianity, 200-1336
BT872.B96 1995

Revelations:  Art of the Apocalypse
Oversize N8038.5.G78 1997

Sacred and Legendary Art
N7830.J2 1979 2 vols.

Sacred Art in a Secular Century
N8010.D38

Secular Art with Sacred Themes
N7880.D53

Saints, Signs, and Symbols
Reference BV150.P6 1974

Signs & Symbols in Christian Art, With Illustrations From Paintings of the Renaissance
Reference N7830.F374 1961

The Square Halo and Other Mysteries of Western Art:  Images and the Stories That Inspired Them
N8010.F57 1995

Visual Piety: A History and Theory of Popular Religious Images
BR517.M67 1998

Hindu Art
The Development of Hindu Iconography
BL1205.B3 1974  

Hindu India: From Khajuraho to the Temple City of Madurai
NA6002.S75 1998

The Illustrated Dictionary of Hindu Iconography
Reference N8195.A4 S78 1985

Jewish Art
Jewish Symbols in the Greco-Roman Period
Oversize DS111.G65 13 vols.

Religious Symbolism
BL600.I5 1969
 
 

Western Art
American Icons:  Transatlantic Perspectives on Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century American Art
ND207.A678 1992

The Art of Mesoamerica: From Olmec to Aztec
F1219.3.A7 M55 1986

Birds and Beasts of Ancient Latin America
E59.A7 B46 1997

The Birth of Western Painting; A History of Colour, Form, and Iconography, Illustrated from the Paintings of Mistra and Mount Athos, of Giotto and Duccio, and El Greco
ND53.B9 1968

Canadian Art: From Its Beginnings to 2000
Reference N6540.N49 2000

The Development of the Italian Schools of Painting
ND611.M272  19 vols.

Native American Art in the Twentieth Century
E98.A7 N357 1999

Native North American Art
E98.A7 B47 1998

The Pictorial Arts of the West, 800-1200
Oversize N5970.D64 1993

Ritual and Symbol in Native Central America
F1434.2.R5 R57  

Saints & Saint Makers of New Mexico
N7910.N6 B6

Studies in Classic Maya Iconography
F1435.3.A7.K8

Symbols and Legends in Western Art; A Museum Guide
N7740.W53

The True Vine: On Visual Representation and the Western Tradition
N7560.B3 1989

Understanding Northwest Coast Art: A Guide to Crests, Beings, and Symbols
Reference  E78.N78 S446 2000

 
 

Indexes & Databases

Art Index online  1984- . Art Index provides international indexing for contemporary art, art history, architecture, archaeology, computers in art, crafts, folk art, graphic arts, industrial design, interior design, landscape architecture, motion pictures, museology, photography, textiles, and related fields. Coverage includes English-language periodicals, yearbooks, and museum bulletins, as well as a selection of periodicals published in French, Italian, German, Japanese, Spanish, Dutch, and Swedish. Reproductions of works of art appearing in periodicals are also indexed.  In print, (1929-1994) located in Periodicals Wilson 1E N1.A59.

Arts and Humanities Citation Index Online (Web of Science) 1995- 
     Available via the Web of Science. Arts & Humanities Citation Index is a multidisciplinary database covering the journal literature of the arts and humanities. It indexes 1,144 of the world's leading arts and humanities journals, as well as covering individually selected, relevant items from over 6,800 major science and social science journals. Also in print from 1976 - 2000 Ref. AI3.A77.

ATLA (American Theological Library Association) Religion
     An index to religious and theological literature, containing thousands of citations to journal articles, essays in multi-author works, and book reviews from three print indexes: Religion Index One, Religion Index Two, and Index to Book Reviews in Religion. Search "iconography" and religion or region such as "Latin America" or "Buddhist."

Bibliography of the History of Art    (1973 - )
     The Bibliography of the History of Art covers European and American art from late antiquity to the present, indexing and abstracting art-related books, conference proceedings and dissertations, exhibition and dealer's catalogs, and articles from more than 2,500 periodicals. The Bibliography of the History of Art includes and extends the coverage of its two predecessor art indexes: RAA (Repertoire d'Art et d'Archeologie) and RILA (International Repertory of the Literature of Art). Updated quarterly.

Grove Art Online
     Full-text of the Dictionary of Art (41,000 articles) with linked images (over 100,000), including the Bridgeman Art Archive, and links to other sites (museums, galleries, etc.).

Index Iconologicus 1250-1940
Wilson 2 West Microfiche  N7525. I532
     "Uniting art images with their literary and historical backgrounds."  The Index spans the major periods of art and literary history and includes more than  60,000 entries, with a concentration of 16th and 17th-century art.  In addition to photographic reproductions of artistic works, the index contains literary, historical, and bibliographic information.  Fiche are organized by YEAR and CARD NUMBER.  Paper guide N7525 .I532.  It is recommended that you consult the guide before working with the  collection.  There is also a user guide at the beginning of the microfiche collection.

Art 20c: The Thames & Hudson Multimedia Dictionary of Modern Art   (CD-ROM) Reference N6490.A7163
     Features over 3,500 images, audios of artists' voices, and videos of kinetic and video art plus more than 2,500 entries including artist biographies, movements, galleries, collectors, and critics.

Artbibliographies Modern  Wilson 5 East  N6480.A794
     Provides abstracts of books, exhibition catalogs and articles dealing with art and design throughout the world from 1800 to the present.

Repertoire d'Art et d'Archeologie 1965-1989   Wilson 5 East N7425.3.R45
     A bibliography of periodical articles classified by subject, with an index to authors and artists.

World Biographical Dictionary of Artists   (CD-ROM)  Reference N40.I59 1995
     A comprehensive biographical reference to artists. Includes data from Thieme-Becker and Vollmer.
 
 

Web Sites of Interest
ArtsEdNet The Getty's Art Education Website
http://www.getty.edu/education/

Digital Image Archive Links (compiled at the WWU Libraries)
http://www.library.wwu.edu/ref/subjguides/art/digitimage.html

Locating Biographical Information on Artists (compiled at the WWU Libraries)
http://www.library.wwu.edu/ref/subjguides/art/artbiog.html

Locating Pictures, Illustrations, and other Visual Materials (compiled at the WWU Libraries)
http://www.library.wwu.edu/ref/howtoguides/illustrations/Illustrations.htm

Iconography and Image Collections (Warwick Art History Web)
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/arthistory/weblinks/