The publication of the Grove's Dictionary of Art has been preceded by more anticipation and described with more superlatives than any previous art publishing venture. Thanks to a grant from the Appleton Library Foundation, our community now has access to this monumental work. The 34 volume Dictionary of Art provides comprehensive coverage of the visual arts of every culture and civilization from prehistory to the present including topics such as architecture, photography and the decorative arts. The only visual art form excluded from the dictionary is the history of filmmaking.
Over 6,700 art scholars from 120 countries contributed to the Dictionary. Topical articles range in length from a few lines (turpentine) to hundreds of pages for survey articles (Romanesque or Prehistoric Europe) and represent the most recent scholarship in the field. More biographies of artists are contained in this work then any other English language art reference. Thousands of entries are also included for patrons, collectors, dealers, theorists, writers, art historians, museum officials, critics and teachers. Its interdisciplinary approach makes it valuable for other areas such as anthropology, archaeology, theater and the history of culture. Color plates and numerous black and white photographs nicely illustrate each article's topic.
The Dictionary of Art can be found in the reference collection at the library. It is great for looking up specific art related topics, but also for browsing the well written articles and beautiful illustrations.
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last modified 9/8/98