The Ryerson & Burnham Libraries collection contains a wide variety of resources that can be used to locate information on artists and their works. Our open shelf collection in the reading room contains reference sources, such as dictionaries, directories, encyclopedias, and indexes. We have strong collections of artist files, auction catalogs, books, exhibition catalogs, journals, and newspapers in the library collection, and the Ryerson and Burnham Archives collections also contain papers for individual artists and arts organizations, as well as a collection of artists’ oral histories.
This research guide provides recommendations for research sources and strategies to locate information on both prominent and obscure artists and their works. Prior to beginning your research, we recommend that you compile as much information about the artist or artwork of interest to you as possible. Do you know the artist’s name, the artwork’s title, the approximate dates the artist worked or the piece was created, or the geographic area where the artist lived or the object was created? If you are working on an artwork in your collection, have you examined it to see whether it contains any signatures or marks, labels, or annotations (you may wish to remove the frame to fully examine the object)? Recording this information and bringing an outline of keywords or research objectives as well as clear, closeup images of any signatures or markings to the library with you will provide you with a strong starting point for your research.
The Ryerson and Burnham Libraries’ catalog will lead you to articles, artist files, books, and exhibition catalogues for an artist. For best results, use the Library Catalog search scope, and enter the artist’s name, last name, first name (example: Monet, Claude). The following resources will also be helpful in learning more about specific artists and their artworks.
Catalogues Raisonnés
Look for a piece in the most comprehensive catalogue of the artist’s known works. Please note these are not available for all artists. The International Foundation for Art Research maintains a free database of published and forthcoming catalogues raisonnés.
In the library catalog, search the Library Catalog scope for:[Artist’s name; Last Name, First Name] – Catalogues raisonnés (example: Hopper, Edward – Catalogues raisonnés).
Artist Files
The Ryerson & Burnham Libraries have over 35,000 artist files, which contain small exhibition catalogs, checklists, clippings, images, and fliers for artists, galleries, museums, and art schools. These are described in the catalog:the location and material type is Pamphlets. See also the New York Public Library’s artists file on microfiche (call number 1990 3).
Biographical Reference Resources
- Who’s Who in American Art
This subscription resource is also available digitally in the reading room. - Who Was Who in American Art, 1564-1975
- Dictionary of Artists (Bénézit)
This subscription resource is also available digitally in the reading room. - Allgemeines Kunstler-Lexikon
This subscription resource is also available digitally in the reading room. - Contemporary Artists
Ryerson Index
Look for articles on an artist, particularly if the artist was in the Chicago area and was active in the early to mid-20th century. This includes references to the Art Institute of Chicago Scrapbooks.
Full Title:Index to Art Periodicals (1962)
Signature Directories
If you do not have the name of the work you are researching, but it has a signature, try resources such as these.
- American Artists: Signatures & Monograms, 1800-1989
- Marks & Monograms: The Decorative Arts, 1880-1960
- The Visual Index of Artists’ Signatures & Monograms
- Artists’ Monograms & Indiscernible Signatures: An International Directory, 1800-1991
Reproduction Indices
Track down works that reproduce a painting, such as World Painting Index or Art Reproductions.
Art Dictionaries
Art dictionaries are useful for biographies, introductions to periods of art, and the bibliographies that accompany entries; the Grove Dictionary of Art and Oxford Art Online (this subscription resource is available in the reading room) are good examples. Works such as the Dictionary of Art Terms can also be useful for definitions and explanations of terms and periods of art, as well as illustrations and diagrams for entries.
Articles on Art, Artists, and Related Topics
These subscription resources provide citations and some full-text articles on art, artists, and related topics. Unless otherwise noted, they are available onsite at the Art Institute of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago campus. Faculty, students, and staff at the Art Institute of Chicago and School of the Art Institute of Chicago can also access most of these resources from other locations with an ARTIC username and password via the Art, Architecture, and Design Resources Page.
Newspaper Databases
The Libraries subscribe to online regional and national newspaper databases, which can be used to locate biographical or exhibition information.
These resources are accessible in the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries via the Newspapers Resources Page.
Auction Databases
The Libraries subscribe to a number of auction databases, most of which cover auctions from the last 20 years.
These resources are accessible in the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries via the Auction Resources Page.
Objects currently on display in the Art Institute galleries can usually be found in Collections Online. The record may include an image, information from the wall label, and occasionally an exhibition history and bibliography of titles that mention the artwork. CITI is the museum’s internal collection database, which includes information on all artworks in the Art Institute’s collection. If an item is not on display in the galleries, this may be the best starting point. Please ask at the reference desk for CITI access.
ARTstor
For objects that are on display in other museums and institutions, the subscription ARTstor database, available in the reading room, contains a growing survey of major works of art, as well as specialized image collections.
Search by museum collection, artist, or keyword. ARTstor is available from the Image Databases page.
Catalog of Museum or Department
Consult the catalogs of a museum’s collection or a museum department’s collection. For example: American Arts at the Art Institute of Chicago. You can find these by searching the library catalog for the museum and department name and the term catalogs (for example, Art Institute of Chicago. Department of Textiles — Catalogs).
Area Libraries
Check libraries and/or historical societies in the area that the artist was from or was most active for information including newspaper articles and pamphlet files. Try “Find a library near you,” available here: https://www.worldcat.org/libraries.
Chicago Artists’ Archive at Chicago Public Library
This archival collection is available at the Harold Washington Branch of Chicago Public Library (8th floor). Files may contain: resumes, newspaper articles, artists’ books, gallery flyers, videos, press clippings, letters, photographs, some original artwork, and CDs. To find out if a particular artist is included in the collection you can call (312) 747-4300 or consult the list available here: http://www.chipublib.org/fa-chicago-artists-archive/.
Collections that Have Works by the Artist
Once you discover which museum collections hold pieces by an artist, check with these institutions for information.
Union Catalogs
The Chicago Collections Consortium contains digitized items from the archives and special collections of various Chicago-area institutions, including scrapbooks, photographs, and other printed material for local art-related topics. Access the free online portal here: http://explore.chicagocollections.org.
WorldCat is a catalog of library catalogs worldwide that contains records for libraries’ holdings of books, journals, manuscript collections, newspapers, and digital and audiovisual resources. It is available thorough subscription in the reading room, or in a free version.
Archival Collections
Look for collections of an artist’s papers in library collections around the world search WorldCat or ArchiveGrid.
For American artists, try the Archives of American Art: http://www.aaa.si.edu/.
Conduct broad searches for anything on an artist’s name. Using quotation marks around the artist’s name can help limit, as can adding keywords outside the quotation marks.
Examples:
“Claude Monet”
“Claude Monet” watercolor
“Claude Monet” artist
Searching Google Images, Google Books, and Google Scholar can also be very useful.
The entries in this free online encyclopedia often include bibliographies, references, and links to related entries.
Biographical Information
Consult sites created by museums, libraries, archives, galleries, and others that provide information on artists.
Examples:
For artists about whom little professional literature is available, try genealogical resources such as census documents, city directories, county histories, and local newspaper collections. Many of these resources are freely accessible online.
Examples:
Image Searching
If you have a digital image of the item you are trying to identify, run it through a reverse image search to locate images of similar items on the Internet.
Examples:
Appraisal and Conservation
Staff at the Art Institute of Chicago cannot provide authentication or appraisal services, and our conservation staff are not able to accept inquiries on works of art in personal collections. You can locate advice on these topics in our research guide on Appraisal and Conservation Resources for Art.
