Books
Books in the Wells Library are filed using the Library of Congress system which groups books into subject areas. Some of the broad Fine Arts subject areas begin with the following call numbers:
N - Visual Arts N7380 African art
NA - Architecture
NB - Sculpture
NC - Drawing. Design. Illustration.
ND - Painting
NE - Print Media
NK - Decorative Arts
NX - Arts in General
TR - Photography TR115 Photography--Africa--Exhibitions
TT - Handicrafts. Arts and Crafts. TT504.6 Fashion--Africa
- Oxford Art Online
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Encyclopedia articles about artists, architects, and artistic movements & periods, as well as bibliographies for further research. Also includes thousands of searchable images. - Oxford Research Encyclopedia of African History
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Comprehensive, online research encyclopedia covering all areas of African history. Includes both primary and secondary materials and is updated regularly.
Reference Books
Reference Books are shelved in the Reference Reading Room.
African Arts and Cultures by Call Number: N7391.65 .C43 1993ISBN: 0871922495Publication Date: 1993-01-01
The Art of African Textiles by Call Number: NK8888.75 .C58 1997ISBN: 1571451323Publication Date: 2002-11-01
Continuum Encyclopedia of Native Art by Call Number: E98.A7 W49 2000ISBN: 9780826414656Publication Date: 2003-01-01
Cultural Atlas of Africa by Call Number: G2446.E1 C8 1998ISBN: 0816038139Publication Date: 1998-09-01
Serials Guide to Ethnoart by Call Number: N5310.7 .B87 1990ISBN: 0313273324Publication Date: 1990-08-15
Traditional African Designs by Call Number: NK1488.75 .M57 1997ISBN: 0486296229Publication Date: 1997-05-07
Other Books
African Textiles Today by Call Number: NK8987 .S674 2012ISBN: 9781588343802Publication Date: 2012-10-09
A History of Art in Africa by Call Number: N7380 .H54 2008ISBN: 9780136128724Publication Date: 2007-07-03
Catalogues Raisonnés
The catalogue raisonné is an important tool for provenance research and for establishing the oeuvre of an artist; it normally contains provenance for each version of a work of art. Each work is pictured, with scholarly opinions, provenance, literature about the work, and sales information (when known). Search this Catalogues Raisonnés resource from the International Federation for Art Research to locate published and forthcoming titles.
Exhibition Catalogs
These titles document museum and gallery shows; are often the best source for high-quality images; and usually include artist biographies, curatorial essays, artist interviews and/or writings, and career chronologies. Look for "Exhibitions" as part of the subject heading.
Monographs
These are books by or about artists published independent of any exhibition. Usually, these are in-depth writings that analyze or provide context for an artist and his/her work. Look for words like "Criticism and Interpretation" in the subject heading of a book. Search using "criticism" or "analysis" as keywords.