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Library Guides

Art History

Using the Internet

As a research tool the internet should be approached with caution. It should be a supplement to your academic endeavour and not a replacement for it.

Most people use search engines when looking for information on the web. Google, for example, is very well known - the most widely used and one of the better search engines for coverage and use.

However:

  • It can only search what is sometimes called the 'surface web'. It cannot reach many academic articles which are usually held in subscription only databases - the sort your library purchases - so you may miss a lot of useful information.
  • It has no editorial function – it simply finds things. What it does find can be biased, out of date or often just plain wrong.
  • It may bring you the largest number of results – but they are often irrelevant or poor quality. Quantity is no substitute for quality.

This is true of all search engines. Different search engines will search different parts of the web. Although there will be overlaps they will all unearth some different results.

Have a look at this Quality of Information section from our Library Skills Guide to learn more about evaluating the information you find (use the menu on the left of that section to navigate to the different pages).

Here are some good quality websites specific to Art History that you may find interesting or useful...

Useful Websites (see also Audio-Visual Resources section for links to Image collections)

Art History News

The aim of Art History News is to provide a useful source for art history related news stories, such as exhibitions, research and recently discovered paintings.

Association of Art History

Association of Art History

Through advocacy, events, networks, membership, grants and publications, the Association for Art History celebrates and promotes the value of art history and visual culture today.

BBC Culture - Art History

BBC compiled articles on various topics in Art and Art History.

Black Artists in British Art: A Resource

Page of resources shining a spotlight on historic and contemporary Black artists in British art (you will need to scroll down a little).

Museo Nacional del Prado

Museo Nacional del Prado

The Museo Nacional del Prado was inaugurated in 1819 and fulfils the mission of conserving, exhibiting and enriching the set of collections and works of art that, closely linked to the history of Spain, constitute one of the highest manifestations of artistic expression of recognized universal value.

National Gallery

Founded in 1824, the National Gallery houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The official website.

National Portrait Gallery Research

National Portrait Gallery Research

The National Gallery's research-focused page.

NDACA National Disability Arts Collection & Archive

The NDACA is a £1-million project that brings to life the heritage and rich history of the UK Disability Arts Movement. The-ndaca.org is the only location to discover their online catalogue of 3,500 images. Visitors can also engage with their learning resources, oral history films, learn about emerging disabled artists, biographies of those who contributed to the Disability Arts Movement, and much more.

Obelisk - A New History of Art

Obelisk describes itself as "a place to explore the wildly diverse world of art history."

Queer Art History

A visual history and educational resource for queer art and culture.

Royal Academy of Arts: Women in Art

A Royal Academy page with specific articles related to women in art.

Tate Modern

The Tate Modern's official website.

Tate: Queer Lives and Art

Section of the Tate Modern website devoted to the discovery of LGBTQ+ artists and art.

Tate: Women and Art

Section of the Tate Modern website devoted to the exploration of the stories and achievements of women artists.

Timeline of Art History - Metropolitan Museum of Art

Timeline of Art History - Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History - discover the story of art and global culture through The Met collection. 

V&A Research

V&A Research

The V&A's dedicated Research pages. The V&A was the first museum in the world to establish a dedicated Research Department and it continues to be a core activity of the Museum today.

Virtual Uffizi - The complete catalogue of the Uffizi Gallery of Florence

Virtual Uffizi

The unofficial guide to the Uffizi, with a virtual tour, event details, articles and biographies.