ARTH 240 - Treasures of Provence

Louis XVI as the Benefactor of Surgery by Esprit Antoine Gibelin, 1771-1774, the Met

The ARTH 240- Treasures of Provence Course Guide provides access to library books, articles, and other resources for student research. Use the navigation tools on the left to locate resources, services, and tips.

For more related resources, visit the Art History Research Portal or the Introduction to the Research Process Guide.

Just getting started? These academic art dictionary and encyclopedias are great sources for trustworthy information when first researching an artist, a medium, or a time period. 

When analyzing a work of art, it's helpful to develop and apply a list of relevant questions. Consider:

• Subject matter - What is being depicted? (May require researching a related place, figure or event - e.g. from religion or mythology)
• Material and form - What is the size, shape, line, texture, color, etc.? How do these affect the way you "see" the subject?
• Social and historical contexts - When, where, and why was the work made?
• What were the artist's intentions (if known)?

Barnet's A Short Guide to Writing About Art provides many useful examples of analytical questions and is a required/recommended text for most Art History courses.