Search by Artist
Research Catalog—catalog.nypl.org:
Searching the Library’s online catalog can serve as the first step in order to see if the library holds any material on your artist of interest. Books are good sources for well-known artists, but may not be available for artists that are more obscure. Do not discount non-English language sources since they cover artists of all nationalities and may be the only sources containing information.
There are different ways to search for books on individual artists:
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The best way is to search under “Subject” (LastName, FirstName)
- It is with this type of search that you can find material about the artist such as biographies, criticisms, interpretations and analysis about an artist's life and body of work.
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Artists can also be searched for as “Author” (LastName, FirstName)
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It is with this type of search that you can find an artist's critical writings, artists' books, collaborations with other artists and writers, and exhibition catalogs.
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- You can also do a “Keyword” search If your subject and author searches provide you with little or no results.
Need additional suggestions? View our guide: How to Research an Artist.
What’s my topic?
NYPL uses the Library of Congress Subject headings to help navigate the catalog.
- Searching by “Subject” can be a great way to begin
- Subjects headings can begin with a topic. (Some examples are listed below)
- Subject headings can be subdivided by time period (century), geographic location, country or movement. (Some examples are listed below).
Looking for Journals or Magazines
Wondering if the library has a particular journal, magazine or newspaper? Use the catalog's Journal Title search function to find magazines, journals, and newspapers that are held in our research library.