College of DuPage Library

Byzantine and Islamic

Revised art guide in progress by Dominican University / COD practicum student Kathleen Gomez - sp 2016

The Byzantine Empire was the eastern end of the Roman empire from the fall of Rome to the Fall of Constantinople in 1453. Though it originally had roots in Roman art, Byzantine art eventually abandoned the classical and natural aesthetic the Romans so highly revered in favor of a more symbolic aesthetic. This is due largely in part to the importance religion and Christianity had to the people of the Byzantine empire. Icons, little portraits of religious figures or saints, were highly popular. Other surviving works from the Byzantine empire include mosaics, paintings and frescoes, and stone and ivory reliefs. The four periods of Byzantine art are pretty easy: Early, Middle, Late, and Post-Byzantine.

Islamic art is that which was created by any and all countries, regions, or people that lived with or under Islamic rulers. It's not necessarily a religious art, nor is it specific to a time period or region, making it a huge umbrella to fall under. Some common elements are the use of repetitive, geometric patterns, known as "arabesque," that are used on anything from manuscripts to buildings. Because there are so many countries it can be found in, different elements will arise depending on the region the art was created in. Common artifacts of Islamic art are pottery, manuscripts, paintings, and rugs and carpets.

Art Guide Home

  1. Reference Books
  2. Circulating Books
  3. Databases and Websites

Reference Books

Confused about your topic, or not sure where to begin? Start here! Reference books are written to give you a good general overview of a topic. Print reference works are for in-library use only; ebooks can be viewed on and off campus if you have a current COD library card. The reference section is on the first floor of the library, behind the staircase. You can use the catalog or Reference Universe to find both print and electronic reference books.

Byzantine

  • 30,000 Years of Art - N5300 .A14 2015
    • This little book is a huge timeline of art, from prehistory to contemporary! Each page contains a color photo of an artwork, the bibliographic information, and a short article. Each entry is color coded on the bottom edge of the page depending on the continent the work originated from. There is a smaller timeline of just text at the end, before the index.
    • See “Byzantine” in the index, pg 646
  • The Encyclopedia of Sculpture - NB198 .E53 2004
    • This encyclopedia contains longer articles on sculptors, famous works, works by period, style, and country/continent, and materials and techniques. There is a table of contents in the first volume by both alphabet and theme, with the index in the last volume. Also featured are black and white photos and a bibliography after each entry.
    • See Volume 1, pgs 481-85
  • Grove Dictionary of Art - N31 .D5 1996
    • This is an older resource, but one of the most comprehensive art resources there is. The articles and biographies are a little longer, and features black and white photos and illustrations, maps, and an index. Also part of Oxford Art Online!
    • See “Byzantine” Volume 9, pgs 506-669
  • The Oxford Companion to to Western Art - N33 .O923 2001
    • Oxford is one of the premier publishers for art and architecture. This book offers concise articles on Western art movements, artists, and art history. Also available in e-book.
    • See “Byzantine Art” pgs 96-8
  • Oxford Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture - NA31 .C864 2006
    • Oxford is one of the premier publishers for art and architecture. This dictionary contains short, concise entries on architects as well as architectural terms and periods. Features black and white photos and illustrations and a bibliography after each entry.
    • See “Byzantine architecture” pgs 136-9

Islamic

  • 30,000 Years of Art - N5300 .A14 2015
    • This little book is a huge timeline of art, from prehistory to contemporary! Each page contains a color photo of an artwork, the bibliographic information, and a short article. Each entry is color coded on the bottom edge of the page depending on the continent the work originated from. There is a smaller timeline of just text at the end, before the index.
    • See “Islam” in the index, pg 649
  • Grove Dictionary of Art - N31 .D5 1996
    • This is an older resource, but one of the most comprehensive art resources there is. The articles and biographies are a little longer, and features black and white photos and illustrations, maps, and an index. Also part of Oxford Art Online!
    • See “Islamic” Volume 16 pgs 94-560
  • Oxford Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture - NA31 .C864 2006
    • Oxford is one of the premier publishers for art and architecture. This dictionary contains short, concise entries on architects as well as architectural terms and periods. Features black and white photos and illustrations and a bibliography after each entry.
    • See “Islamic architecture” pg 388

Circulating Books

These are books you can check out! They can get more specific than reference books and are located on the second floor of the library. You can search the catalog before going up or click the box below to see the call numbers for art books so you can browse the shelves. If you find a book while searching that looks awesome but that we don't own, you can submit an inter-library loan request through I-Share and another library will send you the book for free! You will need a COD library card to check books out.

Click Here to See Call Number Ranges

Ask a Library staff member to show you where the "N" and "T" books are located.

N - general works of art
NA - works on architecture
NB - sculpting
NC - drawing
ND - painting
NE - print media
NK - decorative arts & ceramics
NX - special topics in art
TR - photography


Byzantine

  • Art Past, Art Present - N5300 .W64 1997
    • A world look at art in chronological order from ancient to publication in 1997. The chapters are short, basically an overview of each art period, with a timeline at the end of each chapter. Features a table of contents; black and white and color photos and maps; bibliography; index; and glossary.
  • Byzantine Art - N6250 .D87 1999
    • A chronological look at Byzantine art and architecture with big text and lots of pictures! Features a table of contents; color photos and maps; a timeline and list of rulers; and bibliography.
  • Byzantine Art and Archaeology - N6250 .D2 1961
    • Read about Byzantine art, not just in Turkey but all over Europe and how it influenced Christian art as a whole. This book has very good chapter segmentation and breakdown of different media and iconography. Features a table of contents; black and white photos; bibliography; and multiple indexes.
  • The Glory of Byzantium: Art and Culture of the Middle Byzantine Era, A.D. 843-1261 - N6250 .G55 1997
    • An exhibition catalog of a show held at the Met. The essays in this catalog contain corresponding photos and items from the show! Some objects have historical/archeological information in their annotations. Features a table of contents; color photos, maps, and diagrams; a bibliography; glossary; and index. Also available for free through Google Books.
  • Sculpture of the World: A History - NB60 .C55 1968
    • A chronological view of sculpture from primitive and ancient to the 1960’s. Features a table of contents; black and white photos and maps; bibliography; and index.

Islamic

  • Art Past, Art Present - N5300 .W64 1997
    • A world look at art in chronological order from ancient to publication in 1997. The chapters are short, basically an overview of each art period, with a timeline at the end of each chapter. Features a table of contents; black and white and color photos and maps; bibliography; index; and glossary.
  • Islamic Art - N6250 .B76 1991
    • Looks at Islamic art by region: the Middle East, North Africa, and even India. Each photo has a small annotation with context and unique elements as well as the bibliographic information of the piece. Features a table of contents; black and white and color photos, and maps; bibliography; glossary; and index.
  • Islamic Art and Architecture 650-1250 - N6260 .E79 2001
    • Islamic art and architecture presented in chronological order, then by region. The chapters are broken into short, digestible chunks for easy reading. Features a table of contents; black and white and color photos, maps, and diagrams; charts of rulers and dynasties; bibliography; glossary; and index.
  • Islamic Art and Culture: A Visual History - N6260 .K43 2006
    • Don't let this book's size intimidate you: it’s huge but it's awesome! The author breaks Islamic art down into different media (calligraphy, rugs, pottery, etc.). There are fold-out pages with maps and timelines peppered with examples of works. Paragraph headings make this another easy read. Features a table of contents; color photos and maps; tables of dynasties and rulers; bibliography; and index.
  • Islamic Art in Detail - N6260 .C37 2005
    • This book explains different elements of Islamic art and offers a thematic look at it (religion, supernatural vs natural world, etc.). There are short essays before lots of picture examples, each with a small annotation with context and unique elements as well as the bibliographic information. Features a table of contents; color photos; bibliography; glossary; and index.
  • Sculpture of the World: A History - NB60 .C55 1968
    • A chronological view of sculpture from primitive and ancient to the 1960’s. Features a table of contents; black and white photos and maps; bibliography; and index.

Databases and Websites

All these are web resources that the COD library has subscribed to or that have been gathered from the internet that are helpful for this topic!

Byzantine

Databases - Best Bets

Below are library databases where you can access journal articles and other content. Most of these may be accessed from off-campus, but you must have a COD library card to do so.

Some suggested keywords and subject terms to use when searching for articles on this subject are:
- “Byzantine art”
- “Byzantine art objects”
- “Byzantine architecture”

  • Academic OneFile
    • Contains nearly 13,000 indexed journals, newspapers, and magazines, most peer reviewed and many full-text. The research is very current, not much historical content, but there are a wide range of topics covered. There's a really cool topic finder on the search results page, which gives you keywords related to your search! You have the option to save, download, or email the text or MP3 of the article, and you can make a free account to highlight and make notes on the article within the database.
  • Academic Search Complete
    • Contains over 9000 journals, about 7000 of which are full-text. Some journals go back to 1880’s so you can get historical and recent publications on any given topic. There are plenty of options to narrow your search and to save and cite your article.
  • Art & Architecture Complete
    • Similar to Academic Search Complete except it contains only art-specific publications! If you're looking for the subject browsing function, it's titled Thesaurus.
  • Artstor
    • Find images of artworks that can be used in papers and presentations! You can search or browse by geography, media, or museum/gallery collections. Make a free account to save, organize, cite, or export images. Take a look through their subject guides to get ideas for your next project! See the Artstor Quick Start Guide for tips on using this resource.
  • Oxford Art Online
    • An art major's best friend. This database includes the full text of Grove Art Online, the Oxford Companion to Western Art, the Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, and The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms. Your one-stop shop for scholarly articles, biographies, and definitions of all things art-related.

Websites

These resources were compiled from the internet. No library card required!

  • Byzantine and Christian Museum
    • The Byzantine and Christian Museum has an interactive walkthrough of their permanent exhibition "The Byzantine Empire." You can click different galleries on the map to pull up the objects they have on display. You can also search the collection.
  • Dumbarton Oaks - Byzantine Collection
    • This is the introductory page to the Byzantine Collection at the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Museum. There are a few articles here on the different kinds of objects they have. You can search the Byzantine collection and see highlights here.
  • The George Ortiz Collection - Byzantine Objects
    • Photo gallery of objects; clicking on one will take you to a page describing the piece and it’s potential use/value.
  • Google Art Project
    • The Google Art Project is the result of a partnership with museums and galleries to put the art online for free! You can search and browse by museum, collection, artist, or artwork. If you have a Google account, you can create your own "gallery" so you can save and categorize your favorite artwork.
  • Hagia Sophia.com
    • Explore the Hagia Sophia, one of the most famous churches in Istanbul and one of the premier examples of Byzantine architecture. Includes history, fun facts, and information about the mosaics, tombs, and even urban legends!
  • Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History - Byzantium
    • Links to the "keyword" feature of the Timeline, which lists all the essays, artworks, and timeline with the "Byzantium" tag. Curated by the Met.

Islamic

Databases - Best Bets

Below are library databases where you can access journal articles and other content. Most of these may be accessed from off-campus, but you must have a COD library card to do so.

Some suggested keywords and subject terms to use when searching for articles on this subject are:
- “Islamic art”
- “Islamic art & symbolism”
- “Islamic architecture”
- Try also narrowing your search by country or region!

  • Academic OneFile
    • Contains nearly 13,000 indexed journals, newspapers, and magazines, most peer reviewed and many full-text. The research is very current, not much historical content, but there are a wide range of topics covered. There's a really cool topic finder on the search results page, which gives you keywords related to your search! You have the option to save, download, or email the text or MP3 of the article, and you can make a free account to highlight and make notes on the article within the database.
  • Academic Search Complete
    • Contains over 9000 journals, about 7000 of which are full-text. Some journals go back to 1880’s so you can get historical and recent publications on any given topic. There are plenty of options to narrow your search and to save and cite your article.
  • Art & Architecture Complete
    • Similar to Academic Search Complete except it contains only art-specific publications! If you're looking for the subject browsing function, it's titled Thesaurus.
  • Artstor
    • Find images of artworks that can be used in papers and presentations! You can search or browse by geography, media, or museum/gallery collections. Make a free account to save, organize, cite, or export images. Take a look through their subject guides to get ideas for your next project! See the Artstor Quick Start Guide for tips on using this resource.
  • Oxford Art Online
    • An art major's best friend. This database includes the full text of Grove Art Online, the Oxford Companion to Western Art, the Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, and The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms. Your one-stop shop for scholarly articles, biographies, and definitions of all things art-related.

Websites

These resources were compiled from the internet. No library card required!

  • Google Art Project
    • The Google Art Project is the result of a partnership with museums and galleries to put the art online for free! You can search and browse by museum, collection, artist, or artwork. If you have a Google account, you can create your own "gallery" so you can save and categorize your favorite artwork.
  • Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History - Islamic Art
    • Links to the "keyword" feature of the Timeline, which lists all the essays, artworks, and timeline with the "Islamic Art" tag. Curated by the Met.
  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art Islamic Art Collection
    • The Los Angeles County Museum of Art put together this portal with good essays on the different periods of Islam and art therein. Clicking Browse the Collection on left sidebar will allow you to look at the artwork, and clicking a picture will take you to the bibliographic information.
  • Museum with No Frontiers - Discover Islamic Art
    • Museum with No Frontiers is a non-profit organization that seeks to collect and present Middle Eastern art in order to gain understanding and peace. You can search or browse the collection, but it’s kind of finicky, so we recommend clicking the Exhibitions link, which give you little pieces of information on Islamic art with examples.