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Art and Art History - Longview

Welcome!

Guan Yin of the South SeasWelcome to the Art & Art History Research Guide. Here you will find valuable information for conducting research on various topics related to art, painting, sculpting, photography, jewelry design, computer animation, and other related concepts.

This guide contains information and help in finding books, articles, and websites. Please consult a reference librarian if you need additional help in research or topic selection.

To learn more about MCCKC's Art Program, visit their home page.

 

 

Guanyin of the Southern Sea - Laio or Jin Dynasty, China
Image used by permission from the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Beginning Your Search

1. Create search question

Example:  What inspired the stylistic changes in the way the Pharaoh and his family were portrayed in the Amarna Period in Egypt?

2. Identify keywords from search question

Examples:  Amarna, Pharaoh, Egypt, portraits

3. Identify synonyms from those keywords, or additional terms

This is helpful in case your original search terms don't bring up any results.  Examples: King, Ahkenaten, Nefertiti, Egyptian sculpture, etc.

4. Combine keywords or concepts with Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT)

Some databases will 'assume' the operators AND and OR, so be sure you read any 'how to search' information provided by the online source you use.  Most often, you want to use OR with synonymous terms and AND when combining concepts. Examples:  Ahkenaten OR Echnaton, Amarna AND Portraits, Ahkenaten AND sculpture, etc.

Keywords and Subject Headings

Here are a few examples of terms and subject headings.

  • Art
  • Art, Abstract
  • Art, Baroque
  • Art, Chinese--History
  • Ceramics--United States--20th Century
  • Graphic Arts--History
  • Painting
  • Sculpture--Technique
  • Symbolism in Art
  • Textile Crafts