Searching for Biographical Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
Special biographical publications may be useful for general reference. They may contain detailed information about an artist’s life and works. These can be derived in one of two ways:
- Biography and Genealogy Master Index
A good resource for researching individuals who are less well-known or famous. This online database Indexes biographical entries found in print dictionaries and encyclopedias. It covers millions of individuals, both living and deceased, from every field of activity and from all areas of the world. - NYPL Catalog
Biographical publications can also be found by performing a subject heading search within our catalog. They may be categorized based on the artist’s region, ethnicity, nationality, and/or medium.- Some examples are listed below:
- Subject headings may begin with the type of medium
- Subject headings may be divided by ethnicity, time period, region, or country
- Some examples are listed below:
Get Help
For further assistance in using any of these resources you can contact the Art & Architecture staff by visiting us in Room 300 of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building or through email at art@nypl.org.
Biographical Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon
Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon bio-bibliographischer Index A-Z = The artists of the world: bio-bibliographical index A-Z.
Call Number: *R-ART N40.A62 1999ISBN: 3598239106Publication Date: 2002-01-01Benezit Dictionary of Artists by First English-language edition of the classic work of reference. Incomparable source of art-historical information. Revised and expanded for a wider audience. Over 170,000 entries.
Call Number: *R-ART N40 .B4713 2006ISBN: 9782700030709Publication Date: 2006-06-01
Dictionary of American Painters, Sculptors and Engravers by
This is a comprehensive revision and update of Fielding's original 1926 work, now with almost 13,000 biographies of American artists, primarily of the last two centuries.
Call Number: *R-ART Desk N6536 .F5 1986ISBN: 0938290045Publication Date: 1986-01-01
Dictionary of artists in America, 1564-1860 by
Biographical information on more than 10,000 American artists.
Call Number: *R-ART N6536 .N4 1957ISBN: 0300005199Publication Date: New Haven, Yale Univ. Press, 1957.
Dictionary of Contemporary American Artists by
A completely revised and updated sixth edition of the most useful and detailed directory of America's leading artists. Over 900 comprehensive entries including biographical data, exhibitions, special commissions, collections, and a bibliography. With 149 newly selected illustrations.
Call Number: *R-ART Desk N6512 .C854 1994ISBN: 0312084404Publication Date: 1994-06-15
Dictionary of Women Artists by
Profiles some 550 painters, sculptors, photographers, and women in all areas of the arts. Each illustrated entry includes a biography of the artist, a bibliography and a signed interpretive essay by one of 300 contributors from 20 countries. Essays concentrate on the artist's work, discussing specific pieces that exemplify the artist's style and activity while placing her work in an historical context.
Call Number: *R-ART Desk N8354 .D53 1997ISBN: 1884964214Publication Date: 1997-07-01
The Encyclopedia of Latin American and Caribbean Art by
The nearly 1,400 articles in this volume cover all the major artistic developments in Central and South America and the Caribbean from the colonial period to the present. From 16th-century Spanish colonial architects such as Fray Andres San Miguel to European explorers such as Alexander von Humboldt to contemporary artists such as Debora Arango.
Call Number: *R-ART N6502 .E53 2000ISBN: 1884446043Publication Date: 2002-01-01
The Encyclopedia of Sculpture by
With an international scope, this fully illustrated reference spans the entire history of sculpture, from prehistoric times to the twenty-first century. While devoting significant attention to individual artists and their works, the Encyclopedia also explores sculpture from the vantage points of history, criticism, theory, aesthetics, production, training, and presentation.
Call Number: *R-Art Desk NB198.E53 2004ISBN: 9781579584306Publication Date: 2004-01-01
Great Women Artists by
Great Women Artists reflects an era where art made by women is more prominent than ever. In museums, galleries, and the art market, previously overlooked female artists, past and present, are now gaining recognition and value. Featuring more than 400 artists from more than 50 countries and spanning 500 years of creativity, each artist is represented here by a key artwork and short text.
Call Number: JQF 20-2ISBN: 9780714878775Publication Date: 2019
Jacobsen's biographical index of American artists by
Provides an extensive coverage of American artists working in nearly all media including painters, architects, teachers, printers, caricaturists, cartoonists, ceramists, etc..
Call Number: *R-ART Desk N6536 .J33 2002ISBN: 0960445609Publication Date: 2002
Latin American and Caribbean Artists of the Modern Era by
This is a comprehensive reference book to more than 12,700 painters, sculptors, graphic artists, and architects in Latin America (Mexico, Central America, and South America) and the Caribbean region active during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Entries include the artists' years, countries, and bibliographies. Also included are brief biographical information, stylistic notes, a record of each artist's exhibitions, and a list of collections where his or her works can be seen.
Call Number: JQF 15-1366ISBN: 0786410574Publication Date: 2003-01-22
Mallett's Index of artists : international-biographical, including painters, sculptors, illustrators, engravers and etchers of the past and the present by
Two volumes including painters, sculptors, illustrators, engravers and etchers of the past and the present.
Call Number: *R-ART Desk N40 .M3 1948Publication Date: New York: Peter Smith, 1948.
Sculpture in America by
Revised edition of book released in 1968. This edition covers the major sculptors and movements of the 1960s and '70s, and traced the evolution of American sculpture from its seventeenth-century origins to the twentieth-century. Includes complete biographical sketches for more than 150 sculptors along with descriptions and analyses of all of their most important works.
Call Number: *R-Art Desk NB205.C7 1984ISBN: 0874132258Publication Date: 1984-03-01
St. James Guide to Black Artists by
Profiles 400 prominent 20th-century artists. The guide covers artists working in visual arts, including painting, sculpture, printmaking and photography. Each descriptive entry provides: a concise biography; lists of both individual and group exhibitions; a listing of public galleries and museums that have the work of the entrant in their permanent collection; a bibliography of books and articles by and about the entrant; and a critical evaluation.
Call Number: JQF 15-1353ISBN: 1558622209Publication Date: 1997
St. James Guide to Hispanic Artists
This guide provides critical analysis of approximately 400 20th-century Hispanic artists from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central and South America, and American artists of Spanish descent. Detailed entries typically include biographical information; a list of individual exhibitions and a select list of group exhibitions; lists of museums and public galleries holding works by a given artist in their permanent collections; publications by and about the artist; a statement by the artist about his/her work as available; and more.
Call Number: JQF 15-1370ISBN: 1558624708Publication Date: 2002
St. James Guide to Native North American Artists by
Profiling 400 prominent artists of the 20th century, each entry in this reference includes a biographical profile; lists of exhibitions, public galleries, and museums; a bibliography of books and articles by and about the artist.
Call Number: MAO 98-2545ISBN: 1558622217Publication Date: 1997-09-01
Who was who in American art 1564-1975 : 400 years of artists in America by
A revised and enlarged edition of the 1985 publication with more than 65,000 American artists.
Call Number: *R-ART Desk N6536 .W49 1999ISBN: 9780932087577Publication Date: c1999
