Getting Started

Additional Resources

Khan Academy

The Khan Academy provides a comprehensive series of short videos on art history. The "Art History Basics" section will introduce you to the main themes and methods of art history, while the time period and culturally specific videos explore particular topics and artworks in greater depth.

Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History

Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History This link opens in a new window

Oxford Art Online

Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new window
Encyclopedia with articles on visual arts from prehistory to the present day

Oxford Art Online should be your first stop for most art history-related research. This resource searches a number of art-specific references sources, most notably Grove Art Online. Entries on artists, techniques, and artistic periods and styles all provide in-depth introductions as well as bibliographies of important books and articles. Searching for specific works by title will return images when they are available as well as links to larger entries that mention these works, but individual artworks are not typically given individual entries.

You can check to see if the Shapiro Library has books or articles mentioned in Oxford Art Online by clicking the "Find" button next their citations in the bibliography section of each entry. For items we do not have, you can follow the links to request them via interlibrary loan.

The following video provides an overview of the content and functionality of Grove Art Online within Oxford Art Online. It is a good way to familiarize yourself with this resource.

Credo Reference

Credo This link opens in a new window
Online reference library that provides access to a selection of encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri and books of quotations in general and subject-specific disciplines. Credo includes interactive mind maps.

Credo Reference is an extensive database of academic reference materials. Searching this resource for artists by name, techniques, artistic periods and styles, individual artworks, or other topics will lead you to short, introductory, information. These entries are a good way to familiarize yourself with the key terms and concepts related to a particular topic. Some entries also feature bibliographies listing major book and article resources that you can search for in the Shapiro Library or request through Interlibrary Loan.

The following video provides an overview of the content and functionality of Credo Reference. It is a good way to familiarize yourself with this resource.

We don't have what you need? Request something through Interlibrary Loan!

We encourage students to make use of Interlibrary Loan to obtain resources not owned by the library.

To place a request, please log in to your Interlibrary Loan account This link opens in a new window to your Interlibrary Loan account using your MySNHU user name and password. Most requests are filled within 3-5 business days, but it can take 7-15 business days for requests to be filled.

Before placing a request for materials from another library, please check the Online Library Catalog or Periodical Finder This link opens in a new window to be sure that the Shapiro Library does not own the material that you are requesting.

Consider speaking with a librarian (ask@snhu.libanswers.com) to see if we have access to an alternative resource that you can use in your research, rather than ordering something and waiting for it to arrive.