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Art History

Print and electronic resources available for research on art history topics.

Search Strategy

Selecting a Topic & Finding Key Words

Deciding on a topic is one of the most important parts of writing a research paper. Use one of the suggestions below, or browse through one of the encyclopedias to find something that interests you. Always remember to choose something you enjoy- you're going to be spending a lot of time with it!

Once you have selected a topic, determine key words you can use to find sources. For example, if your topic is photography during the American Civil Rights Movement, you might select photography, civil rights, and America. These are the words and phrases you will type into the book catalog and databases.

Suggested Topics:

Sample Art Periods
  • Ancient and Prehistoric Art
  • Eastern and Asian Art
  • Greek and Roman Art
  • Baroque/Medieval Art
  • Renaissance Art
  • Modern Art
  • Contemporary Art
Popular Artists
  • Pablo Picasso
  • Andy Warhol
  • Frida Kahlo
  • Albrecht Durer
  • Normal Rockwell
  • Salvador Dali
  • Georgia O'Keeffe
  • Grandma Moses
  • Roy Lichtenstein
  • Claude Monet
  • Winslow Homer