Skip to Main Content

Art History

This is a general guide to resources for art history research.

CLIO Catalog Searching

CLIO Catalog

CLIO is the online catalog to Columbia University Libraries (including Barnard), but excluding Teacher's College and the Law Library who maintain their own catalogs. CLIO contains over 7 million records for books, online resources, journals & newspapers, conference proceedings, sound recordings & scores, videos, archival collections & oral history transcripts, online databases, maps & images, and more!

CLIO Search Tips:
  • Use the Catalog Search to find books, journal and newspaper titles, media materials, musical scores, archival collections and databases (but not articles within databases). You can also find maps and atlases.
  • Article Search allows you to search articles indexed in all of Columbia's databases
  • Search for specific e-journal titles using the E-journal Title search
  • Use the link to Borrow Direct or Interlibrary Loan when the book or media item is checked out.

Finding Books in Art History

General Library Collection Catalogs

Museum Library Catalogs

Call Numbers in the Arts

Library of Congress Classification System

The Library of Congress Classification System (LC) arranges areas of study so that researchers can browse areas of the stacks (library shelves) to find similar information. Most visual arts research can therefore be found in the N call number ranges. There are inherent biases baked into the classification system. As an example: Indigenous art forms from the Americas are found in the E & F call number ranges (History of the Americas). See the LC Classification Guide for additional areas of study.

Library of Congress Call Numbers Subjects

 

N1-58 General
N61-72 Theory. Philosophy. Aesthetics of the visual arts
N81-390 Study and teaching. Research
N400-3990 Art museums, galleries, etc. N4390-5098 Exhibitions
N5198-5299 Private collections and collectors
N5300-7418 History
N7420-7525.8 General works
N7560-8266 Special subjects of art
N8350-8356 Art as a profession. Artists N8510-8553 Art studios, materials, etc.
N8554-8585 Examination and conservation of works of art
N8600-8675 Economics of art
N8700-9165 Art and the state. Public art

Visual Arts

NA

NA1-60 General 
NA100-130 Architecture and the state
NA190-1555.5 History
NA1995 Architecture as a profession
NA2000-2320 Study and teaching. Research
NA2335-2360 Competitions
NA2400-2460 Museums. Exhibitions  
NA2500-2599 General works
NA 2599.5-2599.9 Architectural criticism
NA2695-2793  Architectural drawing and design
NA2835-4050 Details and decoration
NA4100-8480 Special classes of buildings
NA9000-9428 Aesthetics of cities. City planning and beautifying

Architecture
NB
 
NB1-50 General
NB60-1115 History
NB1120-1133 Study and teaching
NB1134-1134.4 Competitions
NB1135-1150 General works
NB1160-1195 Designs and technique
NB1199-1200 Restoration of sculptures
NB1203-1270 Special materials
NB1272-1291 Mobiles, color, sculpture gardens, etc.
NB1293-1895 Special forms
NB1910-1952 Special subjects
Sculpture

NC

NC1-1940 Drawing. Design. Illustration
NC1-45 General Including collective biography
NC50-266 History of drawing
NC390-670 Study and teaching
NC673-677 Competitions
NC703-725 General works
NC730-758 Technique
NC760-825 Special subjects
NC845-915 Graphic art materials
NC930 Conservation and restoration of drawings
NC950-(996) Illustration
NC997-1003 Commercial art. Advertising art
NC1280-1284 Printed ephemera. Imagerie populaire
NC1300-1766 Pictorial humor, caricature, etc.
NC1800-1850 Posters
NC1860-1896 Greeting cards, postcards, invitations, book jackets, etc.
NC1920-1940 Copying, enlarging, and reduction of drawings

Drawing, Design, Illustration

ND

ND25-3416 Painting
ND25-(48) General
ND49-813 History
ND1115-1120 Study and teaching
ND1130-1156 General works
ND1288-1460 Special subjects
ND1290-1293 Human figure
ND1300-1337 Portraits
ND1340-1367 Landscape painting
ND1370-1375 Marine painting
ND1380-1383 Animals. Birds
ND1385-1388 Sports. Hunting, fishing, etc.
ND1390-1393 Still life
ND1400-1403 Flowers. Fruit. Trees
ND1410-1460 Other subjects
ND1470-1625 Technique and materials
ND1630-1662 Examination and conservation of paintings
ND1700-2495 Watercolor painting
ND2550-2733 Mural painting
ND2889-3416 Illuminating of manuscripts and books

Painting

NE

NE1-3002 Print media
NE1-978 Printmaking and engraving
NE1000-1352 Wood engraving
NE1400-1879 Metal engraving
NE1940-2232.5 Etching and aquatint
NE2236-2240.6 Serigraphy
NE2242-2246 Monotype (Printmaking)
NE2250-2570 Lithography
NE2685-2685.8 Lumiprints
NE2690 Engraving on glass
NE2800-2880 Printing of engravings
NE3000-3002 Copying art. Copying machine art

Print Media

NK

NK1-(9990) Decorative arts
NK1-570 General
NK600-806 History
NK1135-1149.5 Arts and crafts movement
NK1160-1590 Decoration and ornament. Design
NK1648-1678 Religious art
NK1700-2195 Interior decoration. House decoration
NK2200-2750 Furniture
NK2775-2898 Rugs and carpets
NK2975-3049 Tapestries
NK3175-3296.3 Upholstery. Drapery
NK3375-3496.3 Wallpapers
NK3600-9990 Other arts and art industries

Decorative Arts

NX

NX1-820 Arts in general
NX1-260 General
NX280-410 Study and teaching. Research
NX411-415 Competitions
NX420-430 Exhibitions
NX440-632 History of the arts
NX650-694 Special subjects, characters, persons, religious arts, etc.
NX700-750 Patronage of the arts
NX760-770 Administration of the arts
NX775-777 Voluntarism in the arts
NX798-820 Arts centers and facilities

Arts in General
Other Useful Call Numbers  Subjects
D World History (Arts of non-Western cultures)
E & F History of the Americas (for Native American art)
TR Photography
TT Handicrafts. Arts and Crafts