for a quick overview of a topic
to develop vocabulary or keywords for searching
for suggestions for further sources
The most authoritative and extensive encyclopedia for Art is Grove Art Online (available through Oxford Art Online) .
Includes:
Oxford Bibliographies are research guides in a variety of subject areas. Combining features of an annotated bibliography and a high-level encyclopedia, this resource directs researchers to top scholarship across a wide variety of topics.
The Grove Encyclopedia of Classical Art and Architecture [e-resource]
The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture [e-resource]
Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century Photography by 
The Oxford Dictionary of American Art and Artists [e-resource]
Illustrated Dictionary of Architecture by 
Macmillan Encyclopedia of Architects by 
Contemporary Architects by 
Multilingual Dictionary of Architecture and Building Terms by The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture [e-resource]The Grove Encyclopedia of Classical Art and Architecture [e-resource]
Oxford Companion to Christian Art and Architecture
Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art by 
The Oxford Guide to Classical Mythology in the Arts, 1300-1990s by 
Saints in Art by 
Encyclopedia of Women in Religious Art by 
Gospel Figures in Art by 
The Bible and the Saints by 
Encyclopedia of Comparative Iconography : Themes Depicted in Works of Art by 
Passion Iconography in Northern European Art of the Late Middle Ages and Early Renaissance
Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (LIMC)
Medieval Iconography : A Research Guide
Writing about Art by 
A Short Guide to Writing about Art by 
The Art of Writing About Art by 
Art Information and the Internet : How to Find It, How to Use It by 
Guide to the Literature of Art History 2 by Research Guide to the History of Western Art by 
Thinking and Writing About Art History by 
Visual Literacy: Writing About Art by 
A Survival Guide for Art History Students by 
