Search

Finding Art Reproductions, Illustrations, & Pictures

This guide is intended for the researcher who needs to locate visual materials-- from reproductions of artworks to photographic images of just about anything imaginable. Bobst does not maintain a vertical file of art reproductions or other images, nor does it own slides. The Library does, however, have tens of millions of images of artwork, people, non-human beings and life-forms (microbes, plants, animals, extraterrestrials, etc.) events and phenomena spanning all periods, styles and cultures, in books, exhibition catalogs, periodicals and other print materials. Add to that the tens of millions of images freely available on the internet, and you might say that there is quite a picture collection here!

Before you begin your search, make sure you have a good idea of exactly what you're looking for. For example, must the picture be in color? If so, newer is better! All color reproductions change rather rapidly with age. It is uncommon to find an image in a book published as recently as the 1970s that has not undergone some fading or mutation. If you find an image on the internet you will have several color printing options, all of which are described in greater detail in the section entitled "Finding Images on the Internet."

If you have questions or comments, please contact Tom McNulty or Ask-A-Librarian.

Librarian for Finding Art Reproductions, Illustrations, & Pictures

Tom McNulty
Librarian for Art, Architecture, Design, and Museum Studies
New York University
Bobst Library, Mezzanine
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012
Phone: (212) 998-2519
E-mail: tom.mcnulty@nyu.edu

NYU Links

Related Subject Guides

Internet Links

  • Bibliographies for Museum Studies
    (A Pilot Project Developed in Partnership with Prof. J. Lynne Teather, Museum Studies Program, University of Toronto)
    Searchable bibliographies of research material on new media, museums, visitor studies, etc. Includes a searchable index of Museum Journal for the years 1890-1982.
  • Conservation Online (CoOL)
    A project of the Preservation Department of Stanford University Libraries, CoOL is "a full text library of conservation information, covering a wide spectrum of topics to those involved with the conservation of library, archives, and museum materials."
  • Museum Studies: A Guide to Internet Resources
    Well maintained meta site (University of Delaware) offers links to Internet resources in museum studies, arts management, and more.
  • Museum Studies & Arts Management
    Maintained by Vassar College, this site includes links to Arts Management Resources, Ethics, Laws & Mandates, Bibliographic Resources, Professional Education, and more.
  • Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies
    The Smithsonian Center provides access to a number of valuable resources, including the Museum Studies Database, an ongoing bibliographic research tool offering electronic access to information about the theory and operations of museums.

Consortium and Other Art Libraries

As members of the NYU community, you can use the following art/architecture/design libraries; their holdings are included in BobCat:

Other New York City Art, Architecture and Design Libraries Available to NYU Researchers:

NYU is a member of the METRO, a consortium of 270 local and regional libraries. Researchers may consult the holdings of METRO libraries by requesting a METRO Referral Card at any Bobst Library Reference Desk (1st, 6th, 9th floors). Consult METRO’s Directory for a complete list of participating libraries.

Finding Art Reproductions in Books

Since the nineteenth century, just about any book on art has included reproductions of the works of art being studied or discussed. Early works included engraved reproductions of paintings, sculpture or other art media. Today, we are accustomed to finding very good quality photographic reproductions of works of art in monographs, encyclopedias and exhibition catalogs.

If you are searching for works by a particular artist, and you know his/her name, remember to do both AUTHOR and SUBJECT searches in BobCat . If the artist's name is fairly distinctive, try a "keyword" search; this will work for Robert Rauschenberg, but good luck sorting through the hundreds of David Smiths!

For major artists, like Raphael, for example, you can assume that we will have a "Complete Works" Volume. In BobCat , if you do a keyword search for the terms Raphael and complete, with "all keywords" selected from the drop-down menus in the search screen. You'll get the following results:

1. Joannides, Paul. The drawings of Raphael: with a complete catalogue 1987
2. Raphael, 1483-1520. The complete paintings of Raphael. 1987
3. Raphael, 1483-1520. All the frescos of Raphael. 1963
4. Raphael, 1483-1520. All the paintings of Raphael. 1963
5. Raphael, 1483-1520. The Complete work of Raphael. 1969

To find a more comprehensive list of completed works by the artist, remember to look for foreign language variations on the word complete --particularly Italian (completa) --some of the most beautiful printed art books in the world are published in Italy!

The Artist's Catalogue Raisonne

An artist's catalogue raisonne is a definitive listing of works. In theory, the catalogue raisonne is an exhuastive inventory, but as we all know, new works discovered from time-to-time. Others are found to be fake, or relegated to the status "school of, " "Style of, " etc. Still, the catalogue raisonne is a good first start, unless good quality, large color images are needed. The catalogue raisonne is essentially a documentary tool, in which the text (bibliography, provenance, etc.) is really more important than image quality.

Monographs, Exhibitions Catalogs, etc.

We do not tend to think of artist as authors. But remember that if a book's content is highly pictorial the artist's name will appear as an author (she did, after all, compose the contents of the work). Many, but not all books about an artist, will also include the artist's name as a subject. So, if you really want to find all of the books with significant numbers of images by Marc Rothko, search for Rothko as an Author and as a Subject.

If you are in search of color images, that information is supplied in the BobCat field marked DESCRIPTION; in the following BobCat record for a monograph on the work of Mark Rothko, we know that at least some works are illustrated in color (and hopefully, your sought-after painting will be among them!):

AUTHOR: Weiss, Jeffrey.
TITLE: Mark Rothko/Jeffrey Weiss; with contributions by John Gage...[et al.]
PUBLISHER: Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art; New Haven: Yale U. Press, c1998.
DESCRIPTION: 376p.: ill. (some col.): 32cm.
SUBJECT(S): Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970--Exhibitions

And if that doesn't work...

If you cannot find a sufficient number of books on your artist, go one step further and try to identify works of the period, school, or style. If your artist is not very well-known, this is often the best way to expand your search. A lesser-known artist of the Hudson River School, for example, might very likely be covered in exhibition catalogs and monographs on this period/style of American painting.

Many, many books include works of art by numerous artists. Sadly, the vast majority of these titles are not indexed anywhere! But, some are. If you are searching for a major artist's work, chances are one of the following indexes might be of use. They all offer title and artist indexes, and identify the monograph that contains an image of the desired work of art. Most are located in the reference room, 1st. floor:

  • Garrigan, Kristine Ottesen. Victorian Art Reproductions in Modern Sources: a Bibliography. New York: Garland Pub., 1991.
    Bobst Z5961.G7G37 1991
    Bibliography of art reproductions by Victorian artists appearing in books on art and literature, and exhibition catalogs. Organized by artist, with selected title and subject indexes.
  • Havilice, Patricia Pate. World Painting Index. Metuchen, NJ.: Scarecrow Press, 1970. Vols. 1-3. Supplement, 1982.
    Bobst Ref 1 ND45.H38
    Indexes illustrations in over 1160 books and catalogs published between 1940-1975; listings by artist's name and title of work.
  • Korwin, Yala H. Index to Two Dimensional Art Works. Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, 1981. Vols. 1-2.
    Bobst Ref 1 N7525.K67
    Index of over 35,000 entries for art reproductions appearing in over 250 books published between 1960 and 1977; vol. 1 contains Artist Index, v. 2, Title-Subject Index.
  • Monro, Isabel Stevenson, and Kate M. Monro. Index to Reproductions of European Paintings. New York: The H.W. Wilson Co., 1956.
    Bobst Ref 1 ND45.M6
    Guide to pictures of paintings by European artists in over 300 books, by artist name, title of work, and some subject entries.
  • Index to Reproductions of American Paintings. New York: The H.W. Wilson Co., 1948. First Supplement, 1964.
    Bobst Ref 1 ND205.M57
    Guide to pictures of paintings by American artists in over 800 books and exhibition catalogs.
  • Parry, Pamela Jeffcott. Contemporary Art and Artists: An Index to Reproductions. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1978.
    Bobst Ref1 N6490.P3234
    Reference tool for locating illustrations of works of art in more than 60 major books and exhibition catalogs dating from approx. 1940 to the 1970's in all media except architecture; international in scope. With an artist index and subject/title index.
  • Parry, Pamela Jeffcott. Print Index: A Guide to Reproductions. Wesport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1983.
    Bobst Ref 1 NE90.P17 1983.
    Index to thousands of print contained in 100 books and exhibition catalogs dating from the early 18th century to the mid-1970's.
  • Rochelle, Mercedes. Historical Art Index, A.D. 400-1650: People, Places, and Events Depicted. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1989.
    Bobst Ref 1 N8210.R6 1989
    Index to illustrations of historical events, places, and people reproduced in books "readily avaliable in one's local library."
  • Mythological and Classical World Art Index: A locator of Paintings, Sculptures, Frescoes, Manuscript Illuminations...Executed 1200 B.C. to 1900 A.D... Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1991.
    Bobst Ref 1 N7760.R63 1991
    List artworks under subject for researchers of Greek and Roman mythology and the classical world; reproductions found in readily available books given when possible; with artist index.
  • Smith, Lyn Wall, and Nancy Distin Wall Moure. Index to Reproductions of American Paintings: appearing in more than 400 books, mostly published since 1960. Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, 1977.
    Bobst Ref 1 ND205.S575
    Supplements the work of Monro; also includes scholarly material, not indexed elsewhere, on American art created before 1913; organized by artist name and by subject.
  • Smithsonian Institution. Art Inventories Database.
    http://www.siris.si.edu
    Contains over 300,000 records for American paintings and sculpture; including citations to published illustrations in many cases.
  • Thomason, Elizabeth W. Index to Art Reproduction in Books. Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, 1974.
    Bobst Ref 1 N7525.H48 1974
    Index to reproductions of art in a selected group of books published between 1956 and 1971, with artist name and title index. Includes sculpture, photography, and architecture.

Finding Reproductions of Art Works on a Particular Theme or Motif

Bobst uses the library of Congress (LC) cataloging scheme. LC cataloging rules allow for the designation "in art" for just about anything imaginable. To find books comprised largely of text and images about a particular theme, person, or phenomenon in art, conduct a phrase search in Bobcat, by subject heading. Examples of search terms include:

hedgehogs in art
death in art
Mary Magdalene, Saint, in art

Finding Reproductions in Periodicals

Most of the indexes to fine arts journals indicate the presence of a reproduction, and identify the work by title. One database, Art Full Text is unique because, in addition to reproductions that appear alongside articles, it includes indexing to advertisements in journals and magazines. Many fine arts journals include reproductions for current or forthcoming shows, and these greatly extend our stock of art imagery. This can be a particularly good source for works by lesser known artists, artists whose careers are/were short-lived, etc. Art Full Text and the database that precedes it, Art Index Retrospective, are available on Bobst Library's Database page. You can link to them here or find them in the alphabetical list at: http://library.nyu.edu/collections/find_articles_title.html

To search for reproductions in Art Full Text and Art Index Retrospective, click the button marked "Advanced Search." Here, you can search for reproductions in any number of ways- author, title, subject, etc. To find works of art by a particular artist, search the individual's name as AUTHOR. The search must also be limited by RECORD TYPE; from the choices displayed here, click on REPRODUCTION.

Art Full Text, and its forerunner, Art Index Retrospective, are also effective tools for locating reproductions on a particular subject: a search conducted in April 2007 for the keyword "Madonna" yielded 3,184 reproductions--all appear to be the Mother of Christ (not the rock star!).

Other Sources for Reproduction in Periodicals and Books

From off-campus, access these databases via the alphabetical list on the Bobst Library website:
http://library.nyu.edu/collections/databases.html

  • Bilbliography of the History of Art (BHA), available on the Bobst Library "Databases" page, provides indexing of books, journal, festschriften, etc. While it does not index reproductions in depth, it is a good source for locating books and articles on particular works of art. Individual records do identify the presence of reproductions.
    Electronic Access

  • The Index of Christian Art (ICA) is a searchable database of works based upon Christian themes. It contains some reproductions online, but at this point it is most valuable as a resource for locating reproductions in books and journals. It also provides a wealth of bibliography on individual works of art.
    Electronic Access

  • For works of art by American Artists, use the Smithsonian's Artist Inventories. The Inventories contains over 335,000 records describing American paintings and sculptures. The Inventory of American Paintings Executed before 1914 is a national census of paintings and sculptures. The Inventory of American Sculpture is a national census of works created by artists born or artive in the United States up through the 20th century.

    This source provides a wealth of information about individual works of art. Often, a record will provide details about conditions, price paid, ownership, or provenance (both individuals and institutions), etc. References to published productions are frequently included, and these might lead the researcher to magazines, books, exhibition or auction catalogs featuring the work. The Art Inventories are available free-of-charge at: http://www.siris.si.edu/
    (Under the heading, "Smithsonian American Art Museum Research Databases," follow the link to "Search Art Inventories.")

Finding Visual Materials in Books

Keep in mind the following Library of Congress subject and sub-headings as you search for visual materials:

SUBJECT HEADING OR SUBHEADING EXAMPLE WHAT IT PROVIDES
Photography of _______ Photography of dogs artistic photographs of dogs
--views New York(NY)--views images of a place
--pictorial works flowers--pictorial works collections of photographs/other images of flowers
--portraits --Baker, Josephine. 1906-1975--Portraits

Finding Portraits in Books

Note the Library of Congress subheading, "Portraits," above. This will be applied only to books that contain a significant number of portraits, or in which portraits are, in fact, the subject of the book. For example:

AUTHOR: Colin, Paul, 1892-1985.
TITLE: Josephine Baker and La Revue negre: Paul Colin's lithographs of Le tumulte noir in Paris, 1927/ [new text] with an introduction by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and Karen C.C. Dalton.
PUBLISHER: New York, Viking Press[1970]
DESCRIPTION: 352 p. illus., facsims., maps, ports. 30cm
SUBJECT(S) Lincoln, Abraham, Pres. United States, 1809-1865-Iconography
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Pictorial works

Most biographies, and many other types of monographs, contain images of the person who is the subject of the biography. In some cases, these will be reproductions of painted or other non-photographic portraits. Since the advent of photography and modern printing, famous individuals from the mid-19th century through the present are very often illustrated with a photographic portrait.

If the person you are researching is very famous, chances are there are entire books devoted to images of her or him, or the period in which they lived. One would expect, for example, a pictorial work on Abraham Lincoln and his times. To identify such a work, search for items with the subject heading "pictorial works" in BobCat . For Lincoln, therefore, you could do a phrase search by subject for:
lincoln, abraham--1809-1865--pictorial works
or try a keyword search for the terms lincoln and pictorial with "subject heading" selected from the drop-down menu in BobCat .

The keyword search results in works, including the following oversize item with many, many good clear pictures of Lincoln:

AUTHOR: Plowden, David.
TITLE: Lincoln and his America 1809-1865, with the words of Abraham Lincoln. Arr. by David Plowden and the editors of the Viking Press. Foreword by John Gunther.
PUBLISHER: New York, Viking Press [1970]
DESCRIPTION: 352 p. illus., facsim., maps, ports. 30cm
SUBJECT(S): Lincoln, Abraham, Pres. United States, 1809-1865--Iconography
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Pictorial works

What if my subject is not such a famous person?

Very often, a book about an individual will include some sort of image of that person. However, if images do not comprise the bulk of the item, there will be no "Pictorial works" subheading among the SUBJECT(S) assigned to the book by the Library of Congress. Until about 1991, many little (but important!) details about books were included in LC cataloging records.
Note the following, for example. It points out that the book includes portraits, other illustrations, maps, and plates. It is probably safe to assume that Margaret Mead is the subject of at least one of the portraits:

AUTHOR: Grosskurth, Phyllis, 1924-
TITLE: Margaret Mead/ Phyllis Grosskurth
PUBLISHER: Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1989.
DESCRIPTION: 5 p., [8]p. of plates: ill., maps, ports.; 20 cm.
SERIES: Lives of modern women
SUBJECT(S): Mead, Margaret, 1901-1978
Anthropologists--United States--Biography

(Sadly, the Library of Congress no longer includes much of this type of description when it catalogs a book. As a little aside, the community of map librarians so opposed this type of scaled down cataloging that the designation for the presence of maps was reinstated.)

Finding Visual Materials in Periodicals

Newspapers, magazines and journals can be good sources for images, and most periodical indexes note the presence of illustrations, graphs, photographs, etc. Keep in mind, before you embark upon a search, that the quality of reproduction varies considerably among formats. The quality of an image in a newspaper (print copy) article will not be as good as an image in a recent book or magazine, for example. Also, note that back issues of many publications--particularly newspapers and magazine--are stored on microfilm or microfiche and hence all color, and a significant degree of clarity and detail, will be lost in your copy.

Using Search Engines to Find Images

  • Ditto.com
    http://www.ditto.com/
    Searchable database of images. Excellent source for visual material on all topics.

  • Google
    http://images.google.com
    Google indexes a huge number of sites and can be very effective for image searching. Note that Google does not allow full boolean searching. Rather, it will only look for ALL words entered in a search. For best results, use precise language. For a portrait of Galilieo Galilei, enter the search using natural language:

          portrait of Galileo Galilei

    To find images of anything else, sometimes, it is best to use plain language when using a search engine like Google. Generally we use "image" as a term in a web search, but it is actually sometimes more effective to use "pictures." For example:

    tornado pictures
    Alien autopsy pictures

  • AltaVista
    www.altavista.com
    Altavista is one of the largest search engines, in terms of number of pages indexed. It includes basic and advanced search features, as well as an "Imaged search" option. Note that searches within the "Image Search" feature will not retrieve all available images. However, for those searches in which huge numbers of items are retrieved, this can be one effective way of limiting to visual material.

  • Yahoo Arts
    www.yahoo.com/arts/
    When searching for a particular work of art, include artist's name as well as keywords from the title, if known. For example:

          Picasso bather

    In addition to word searching, the site includes directories of artists (emphasis on contemporary), museums, etc.

Art Metasites

Printing Options

The Bobst Library Computer Center (BLCC), located on Lower Level 2, offers a number of high-quality laser printers, a color inkjet printer, a photo-quality color printer, typesetter quality image setters, a slide printer, and CD mastering. Image scanning is also available.

Log In to OmniUpdate