Have you ever wanted to take a tour of Venice but can’t find the time or resources to go overseas? Do you desperately want to see the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection but can’t make it to New York City? Look no further than ARTstor!
One of Van Wylen’s many databases, ARTstor promotes and shares collections of art from hundreds of art collections throughout the world. High-quality images of artwork are available for educational use in presentations and projects (with free site registration), as well as general browsing. No need to leave your office or dorm room to view some of the greatest collections of art in the world.
Here are some new things to look for:
- Courtauld Gallery, Courtauld Institute of Art: recently released more than 500 images of works in the Courtauld permanent collection. The Courtauld Gallery has a collection that spans from the early Renaissance to the 20th Century. It is known for its outstanding collection of Impressionist paintings.
- Images of European Architecture and Sculpture by Sarah N. James: Check out over 2,000 images focusing mostly on English cathedrals and churches, town halls, marketplaces, and castles.
- Images from the Indianapolis Museum of Art: the IMA’s collection includes more than 50,000 works of art from all over the world, but its holding in European Art are very strong.
- Downton Abbey: If you’re obsessed with the television series Downton Abbey, you’ll find this blog post from the ARTstor staff particularly interesting. The staff has compiled images from various ARTstor collections that remind them of the show.
ARTstor also includes other visual collections, such as documentary photography, costume, and historic scientific illustrations. Be sure to follow ARTstor’s blog for more updates on new collections and highlights from current collections. Browse or search ARTstor’s digital library for more images.
If you’re new to ARTstor, downloading a getting started guide could be helpful in learning how best to use the database. ARTstor has a list of collections to browse by, as well as several subject guides which can also be downloaded in PDF format. Would you like a more personalized tutorial? Contact Jessica Hronchek (hronchek@hope.edu) to set up a meeting!
–Madalyn Muncy, Library Student Blogger