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Art and Art History

This guide is intended for the beginner researcher in art and art history.

Library of Congress Call Numbers

Want to browse the stacks by call number? NYU Libraries use the Library of Congress classification system. Here is a general list of Library of Congress call numbers for books related to art and art history. For more specific call number ranges, perform a keyword search in the library catalog. 

  • N1-9211            Visual Arts
  • NA1-9428         Architecture 
  • NB1-1952         Sculpture
  • NC1-1940         Drawing, Design, Illustration 
  • ND25-3416       Painting
  • NE1-3002         Print media
  • NK1-9990         Decorative Arts
  • NX1-820           Arts in general

What is a Catalog Raisonné?

A catalog raisonné is a comprehensive (as of date of publication) listing of all artworks by a particular artist. The entries can contain information related to the dimensions, date, and title of the artworks, provenance, exhibition history, condition, related works or copies, and related literature. Most catalog raisonnés contain images of the artworks. 

To find catalog raisonnés in the library catalog, search for the artist name + catalog raisonne for example: "Lee Krasner catalog raisonne"

Not every artist has a published catalog raisonné. To check if one exists, use the International Foundation for Art Research Catalog Raisonné Database (free to use):

Search the database ARTIFEX Press to find a selection of digital catalog raisonnés:

Exhibition Catalogs

Exhibition catalogs often contain informative essays written by curators, scholars, or museum staff. They can also be a great resource for high quality images of artworks.

Useful Art History Reference Books