College of DuPage Library

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.

• … isms: Understanding Art - N6447.5 .L58 2004
  • This neat little resource defines art movements from the Renaissance forward. Each chapter is color coded by movement, and it uses icons to tell you similar and different movements, glossary terms, and more. Features a table of contents; color photos; glossary; and timeline.
  • See Chapter 25: “Romanticism” pg 72-3
• 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 “Romanticism” in the index, pg 653
• Encyclopedia of the Romantic Era, 1760-1850 - NX452 .5 .R64 E53 2004
  • This resource contains information only about the Romantic era, covering mostly literature but also art, architecture, and music. They did a really good job separating the subjects at the beginning, as well as index at end, so it's really clear where you need to look! The articles are generally a page long, with bibliographies after each entry and black and white photos. Also available in ebook.
  • See Volume 1, pg xxi: “List of Entries by Subject” under “Art” to find articles about artists, famous works, different kinds of painting, etc.
• 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 “Romanticism” Volume 26, pgs 735-43
• Icons of Beauty: Art, Culture, and the Image of Women - N7630 .M25 2010
  • Historical record of how women are treated and portrayed in art throughout the centuries. Good long articles with great cross-indexing cover the history and method of works discussed, and related works. Features a table of contents in both volumes; black and white and color photos; bibliography; and index.
  • See Volume 2, Chapter 12 “Romantic Beauty: Thomas Gainsborough, Portrait of Mrs. Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1785)”
• 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 “Romanticism in the visual arts” pg 653-4

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.

• 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.
• Lives and Works in the Arts: The Romantics - NX449.5 .L58 1997 V.4
  • This series compiles biographies of artists, writers, and musicians who worked in the eras spanning the Renaissance to the 20th century. The entries are only a few pages, with paragraph headings for light reading. Features a table of contents; color photos; a glossary; bibliography; timeline; and index.
• The Romantic Rebellion: Romantic versus Classic Art - N6465 .R6 C5
  • Read biographies of thirteen artists who shaped and contributed to the Romantic art movement. Features a table of contents; black and white photos; and an index.
• Romanticism - ND188 .R64 C5913
  • Talks about Romanticism in a more technical view - how the artists created their work and the techniques they used. Features a table of contents; black and white and color photos; bibliography; and index of artists and works.
• Romanticism - NX600.R6 B7 2001
  • A Phaidon publication that talks about how Romanticism was a way of thinking and feeling as much as it was an art movement, and the major ideas and themes. Features a table of contents; black and white and color photos and maps; glossary; brief biographies of artists; timeline; bibliography; 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!

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:
- “Romanticism (Art)”
- “Romanticism in art”

• 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 - Romanticism
  • Links to the "keyword" feature of the Timeline, which lists all the essays, artworks, and timeline with the "Romanticism" tag. Curated by the Met.
• Museo del Romanticismo - Madrid’s Romantic Museum
  • This links to the collection’s page at the Museo del Romanticismo in Madrid. You can click on different media to see examples or search catalog by clicking Access Catalog. Make sure to have your browser translater on, or maybe off so you can practice your Spanish!
• Yale University Art Gallery - The Critique of Reason: Romantic Art, 1760–1860
  • This is a portal for a collaborative exhibit between the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art. Clicking on “View More” under “Selected Exhibition Objects” will bring you to the gallery, and clicking on a painting will bring you to the bibliographic information.