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Resources on Women Artists
Information on woman artists can be found in many places in the library, such as art books or history texts that discuss art and artists.
To find resources on them,
- Use a General Search of our collection for books, articles, videos, and more.
- Or try a specialized journal database to find scholarly articles.
Here are some examples of basic search terms you can use to start out:
- Mary Cassatt
- Judith and Holofernes
Find more information in the reference works and website links on this page.
Online Reference Sources
North American Women Artists of the Twentieth Century: A Biographical Dictionary by Call Number: View Ebook Reference N6503 .N67 1995The descriptions are short but numerous. The online version is a convenient way to get quick information on particular artists.
Websites
- Mother of All Art & Art History Links: Women's StudiesLinks to several sites related to Women's Studies and Art History.
- The National Museum of Women in the ArtsThe website for a Washington, D.C. museum dedicated to women artists. Includes descriptions of its collections and exhibitions, as well as the CLARA database of women artists, which provides information on 18,000 women artists throughout history.
Print Reference Sources
Art Index by Call Number: Reference NX 1 A77 1929-1998These print volumes index articles in international art journals and magazines from 1929 to 1998. Ask a librarian to show you how the index works. You can find a more up-to-date online version in the Art Full Text database.
Dictionary of Women Artists by Call Number: Reference N8354 P54 1994 v.1-2A great resource. Two- to three-page descriptions of most of its artists. The first volume has introductory surveys such as "Women as Artists in the Middle Ages" and 19th and 20th century artists in different countries. You'll also find a chronological list of artists and both general and artist-specific bibliographies.
Biographical Dictionary of Women Artists in Europe and America Since 1850 by Call Number: Reference N6757 .D86 1990Another useful reference source for information on women artists.
Dictionary of Women Artists: An International Dictionary of Women Artists Born Before 1900 by Call Number: Reference N43 .P47 1985Contains a large number of entries and includes 18th- and 19th-century artists that won't appear in other sources. Not the first place to look, with small print, typewriter font, and short descriptions. Try here when other dictionaries fail you.
The First American Women Architects by Call Number: NA736 .A48 2008Biographical information for over seventy female architects from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Contemporary Women Artists by Call Number: Reference N8354 C66 1999Another compilation of information on women artists. Includes a few biographical details, lists of exhibitions and publications, and a description of the artist's development and works. Some of the entries also include material written by the artist herself.
Women Artists: An Historical, Contemporary and Feminist Bibliography by Call Number: Reference N8354 P54 1994A straightforward tool for finding books and other resources on a number of woman artists from the Fifteenth Century to the present. Includes a bibliography of general works.
Contemporary American Women Sculptors by Call Number: Reference NB212 .W37 1986Detailed information on prominent American women sculptors. Educational backgrounds, exhibition lists, public and private collections, and a bibliographies. You'll also find an example of each sculptor's art and a brief statement by the artist about her work.
Twentieth-Century Artists on Art: An Index to Writings, Statements, and Interviews by Artists, Architects, and Designers by Call Number: Reference NX456 .R59 1996A unique tool for finding primary documents. Under each artist's name are listed references where you can find their own words, whether on their own art, someone else's, or art in general. Look up the references in the bibliography in the front to track down the sources.
American Women Sculptors: A History of Women Working in Three Dimensions by Call Number: Reference NB236 .R8 1990Organized by historical period, from Native Americans to the 1980s. Extensive, narrative accounts of its subjects. Use the index in the back to locate a particular sculptor in the text.
Women Artists in the United States: A Selective Bibliography and Resource Guide on the Fine and Decorative Arts, 1750-1986 by Call Number: Reference N6536 .C44 1990A bit old and quite intimidating, but helpful if you're doing serious research on women artists. You'll find detailed bibliographies that could point you to useful works on your subject.
