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Finding and Using Images
Images are essential to any art history paper! What is art, after all, if not visual? Here you will find some databases and websites where you can find quality images related to your research topic.
Images courtesy of ARTstor.
Image Databases
The following databases are subscribed to by NOVA Libraries and offer high quality images and background information on works of art. They will also assist you in citing the images you find.
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Artstor This link opens in a new windowArtstor features millions of high-quality images and media. All content is rights-cleared for education and research — you are free to use it in classroom instruction and handouts, presentations, student assignments, and other noncommercial educational and scholarly activities.
Artstor is now part of JSTOR. (NVCC) -
Britannica Image Quest This link opens in a new windowMore than two million rights-cleared images from over 50 of the best image collections in the world. (NVCC)
Images in the Public Domain
Because art history spans so much time, there are many images of artworks that are within what is called the public domain, and are free to use. However, it is good to understand what this means and where to find them, so that you do not accidentally infringe on copyright.
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WikiArt
This website features works of art that are mostly within the public domain. If an image is not yet in the public domain, it is labeled as "fair use." Without getting into copyright too much, it can be safely assumed that using images for academic work is considered fair use under copyright law, but make sure to cite all images properly.
Images here are free to use (you still must cite from where you retrieved the image) and can be downloaded in varying sizes/qualities. You can do a simple search on your artist or their work or browse by artist name. WikiArt also offers its content in "app" form to use on a tablet or smart device.
