Research Guides: Art History Research: Internet Resources

Recommended Sites

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Met's website provides information on all pieces in its permanent collections, as well as additional resources, including full text copies of out-of-print publications.
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
The Museum of Modern Art's evolving collection contains almost 200,000 works of modern and contemporary art. More than 103,000 works are currently available online.
Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum's collections include American Art, Arts of Africa, Asia, the Islamic World, and the Pacific Islands, Egyptian Art, European Art, Decorative Arts, and more. Many of the works in their collections are available online.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian American Art Museum, the nation’s first collection of American art, is an unparalleled record of the American experience.The collection captures the aspirations, character, and imagination of the American people throughout three centuries. The museum is the home to one of the largest and most inclusive collections of American art in the world. Its artworks reveal key aspects of America’s rich artistic and cultural history from the colonial period to today.
The Frick Collection
Internationally recognized as a premier museum and research center, the Frick Collection is known for its distinguished Old Master paintings and outstanding examples of European sculpture and decorative arts.

Check out these tips when deciding to use an online source. Always be skeptical.

Authority: Who is responsible for creating the web page? Is there a publisher or sponsor of the web page? Can you find information about the author and publisher?
Audience: Who is this web site created for? Is the content geared towards an age group or population group?
Accuracy: How does the information compare to other sources?
Content: What is the content of the web site: images, articles, a blog? The type of domain (.edu, .gov, .org) may provide some clues about the information. Can you detect a bias? Are there cited references?
Currency: How recent is the web site? Is there information on when it was last updated?