Museum

Thomas J. Watson Library

The Libraries of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

  • Watson Library

    REGISTER HERE
    to use the Library

    For Visitors:
    Tuesday 9:30–5:15
    Wednesday 9:30–5:15
    Thursday 9:30–5:15
    Friday 9:30–6:00
    Saturday 10:00-2:00

    For Museum Staff:
    Monday-Friday 9:00–6:00
    Saturday 10:00-2:00

    Paging ends
    at 3:30pm on weekdays
    at 1:30pm on Saturdays
    See paging times.

    See Access and Hours for more detailed information and Holiday Closings.
    (212) 650-2225

  • Nolen Library

    Monday (staff only) 9:00–5:00
    Tuesday–Thursday 9:00–5:00
    (visitors: 9:30-5:00)
    Friday 9:00–6:00
    (visitors: 9:30-6:00)
    Saturday 10:00–6:00
    Sunday 10:00–5:00

    See the Nolen Library page for more detailed information.
    (212) 570-3788

Filed under: Research

How do I find out about topics in art history, terminology, techniques, periods, styles, etc.?

Starting points:

The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: contains 900 thematic essays that focus on specific themes in art history, including artistic movements and periods, archaeological sites, empires and civilizations, recurrent themes and concepts, media, and artists.

Oxford Art Online: searches The Grove Dictionary of Art, The Oxford Companion to Western Art, Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, and The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms.

There are other useful resources that are free and accessible on the Internet, such as Artcyclopedia, a searchable and browseable index of artists and art movements, and Infoplease, which includes a section on art.  Also, Wikipedia can be useful for a quick verification of a term or basic overview of a topic (but be mindful that it is not an authoritative source).

Watsonline, the online catalog of the Museum’s libraries: search by keyword and subject for relevant published materials available in the Museum’s libraries, or to identify materials that you can look for locally.