RESEARCH GUIDE: HISTORY OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT I
Topics On This Page:
Top Online Picks
Search Tips
- Try different terms and combinations, both broad and narrow: Baroque chair, Baroque furniture, French Baroque, French chair, French furniture
In the Library
The Elements of Style, Revised Edition
edited by Stephen Calloway and Elizabeth Cromley
Covers interior architectural details from 1485 through the 20th century, with photographs and line drawings
Furniture in History 3000 B.C. - 2000 A.D.
by Leslie Piña
Covers furniture styles throughout history, with photographs and line drawings
Furniture : World Styles from Classical to Contemporary
by Judith Miller
Covers furniture styles throughout history, with color photographs
Great Architecture of the World
by John Julius Norwich
Covers architecture and architectural ornamentation, with color photographs, line drawings, floor plans, elevations, and renderings
Janson's History of Art : The Western Tradition
by H.W. Janson and Penelope J.E. Davies
Covers art and architecture, with color photographs, line drawings, and floor plans
Mirror of the World : A New History of Art
by Julian Bell
Covers art and architecture around the world from prehistory through the 20th century, with color photographs
An Outline of European Architecture
by Nikolaus Pevsner
Covers European architecture from the fourth century to twentieth century, with color photographs and floor plans
Online
Architectural Digest
Features American and European art, furniture and decorative arts, with revival works and contemporary rooms in period styles as well as original pieces
Art Images for College Teaching
Features art, architecture and decorative arts from all time periods and all regions of the world, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes
The Art Institute of Chicago Collections
Features ancient, American and European art, furniture, decorative arts, and textiles, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes
Digital Imaging Project
Covers architecture from around the world, focusing on public buildings, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes. This link takes you directly to the Chronological Index so that you can browse by time period
Furniture | Victoria and Albert Museum
Features all styles of furniture from around the world, with brief articles, style guides, and high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes
Getty Museum Collection
Showcases art, architecture and decorative arts from all time periods and all regions of the world, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes
Great Buildings Collection | ArchitectureWeek
Covers architecture around the world, from Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids to the present, with interior and exterior photographs, drawings, floor plans, sections, and elevations that may be used for educational purposes
LACMA Collections
Features art, architecture and decorative arts from all time periods and all regions of the world, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Collection
Covers the art, architecture and decorative arts of almost every country and time period, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes. To browse by curatorial department, use the Department filter on the left: departments include American Decorative Arts, Asian Art, Egyptian Art, Medieval Art, and more.
In the Library
Atlas of Egyptian Art
by Prisse d'Avennes
Features art, architecture, architectural ornamentation, and decorative arts, with color and black and white illustrations
Egypt : People, Gods, and Pharaohs
by Rose-Marie Hagen and Rainer Hagen
Covers art and architecture, with color photographs
Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids
by the editors of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Covers art and architecture, with color photographs, floor plans and line drawings
Online
The British Museum
The Ancient Egypt galleries feature art, architecture and decorative arts, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes
Egyptian Antiquities | The Louvre
Features art, architecture and decorative arts, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes
Egyptian, Classical & Ancient Near Eastern Art | The Brooklyn Museum
Features art, architectural ornamentation, and decorative arts, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes
In the Library
Assyria to Iberia : At the Dawn of the Classical Age
edited by Joan Aruz, Sarah B. Graff, and Yelena Rakic
Explores masterpieces of the ancient Near East and Mediterranean, with color photographs
Mountains and Lowlands : Ancient Iran and Mesopotamia
by Paul Collins
Highlights ancient Near Eastern and Persian antiquities and archaeological sites
Online
Animals in Ancient Near Eastern Art | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Explores the representation of animals in ancient Near Eastern art, with links to additional Heilbrunn Timeline essays and objects in The Met collections
Art of the Ancient Near East: A Resource for Educators | MetPublications | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Learn about the cultural, archaeological, and historical contexts for a selection of thirty works of art in the form of sculpture, silver and gold ritual vessels and objects, monumental reliefs, cuneiform tablets, and stamp and cylinder seals
The Assyrian Sculpture Court | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Describes the sculptures and reliefs from the Northwest Palace in the ancient Assyrian capital city of Nimrud, with links to additional Heilbrunn Timeline essays and objects in The Met collections
Egyptian, Classical & Ancient Near Eastern Art | The Brooklyn Museum
Features art, architectural ornamentation, and decorative arts, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes
The Old Assyrian Period (ca. 2000–1600 B.C.) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Describes the history and the art of the early Assyrians, with links to additional Heilbrunn Timeline essays and objects in The Met collections
The Parthian Empire (247 B.C.–224 A.D.) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Describes the history and the art of this ancient Near Eastern empire, with links to additional Heilbrunn Timeline essays and objects in The Met collections
The Sasanian Empire (224–651 A.D.) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Describes the history and the art of this ancient Near Eastern empire, with links to additional Heilbrunn Timeline essays and objects in The Met collections
In the Library
The Art and Life of Pompeii and Herculaneum
by Michael Grant, et al.
Features art, architecture and decorative arts, with color photographs and floor plans
A History of Roman Art
by Fred S Kleiner
Features art, architecture and decorative arts, with color photographs, renderings and maps
Masterpieces of Classical Art
by Dyfri Williams
Features art and decorative arts, with color photographs
Sites of Antiquity : From Ancient Egypt to the Fall of Rome, 50 Sites That Explain the Classical World
by Charles Freeman
Features architecture, with maps and color photographs
Triumph of the Hero : Greek and Roman Myth
by Tony Allan
Features art and decorative arts, with maps and color photographs
Vitruvius : The Ten Books on Architecture
by Vitruvius Pollio
Covers architecture and architectural ornamentation, with line drawings and floor plans
Online
Architecture in Ancient Greece | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Provides an overview of ancient Greek architecture, with links to additional Heilbrunn Timeline essays and objects in The Met collections
The Art of Classical Greece (ca. 480–323 B.C.) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Description, with links to additional Heilbrunn Timeline essays and objects in The Met collections
Art of the Hellenistic Age and the Hellenistic Tradition | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Explores the spread of Greek culture and its arts following the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C., with links to additional Heilbrunn Timeline essays and objects in The Met collections
The British Museum
The Ancient Greece and Rome galleries feature art, architecture and decorative arts, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes
Classical Cyprus (ca. 480–ca. 310 B.C.) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Explores the history and art of the island of Cyprus while it was under the control of the Persian empire, with links to additional Heilbrunn Timeline essays and objects in The Met collections
Greek Art in the Archaic Period | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Describes Greek art of the seventh and sixth centuries B.C., with links to additional Heilbrunn Timeline essays and objects in The Met collections
Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities | Louvre Museum
Features art, architecture and decorative arts, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes
Perseus Digital Library | Art and Archaeology Artifact Browser
Features Greek and Roman architecture, sculpture and vases, with color photographs, floor plans and site plans. Select an artifact type and then select Period to see art and architecture from a particular time period such as Classical or Hellenistic
Roman Art | The Brooklyn Museum
Features art, architectural ornamentation, and decorative arts, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes
Roman Housing | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Explores the architecture and decoration of a wide variety of residences across the ancient Roman empire, with links to additional Heilbrunn Timeline essays and objects in The Met collections
Roman Painting | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Describes the development of Roman painting from ca. 200 B.C. to 79 A.D., with links to additional Heilbrunn Timeline essays and objects in The Met collections
In the Library
African Art in Detail
by Chris Spring
Features art works from across the continent from ancient, pre-colonial, colonial, and modern eras
African Textiles: Color and Creativity Across a Continent
by John Gillow
Highlights the handmade textiles of West, North, East, Central and Southern Africa
Ancestors of Congo Square: African Art in the New Orleans Museum of Art
edited by William A. Fagaly
Features sculpture, textiles, furniture, jewelry, and other artworks from West and Central Africa
Early Art and Architecture of Africa
by Peter S. Garlake
Explores the art and architecture of sub-Saharan African from 2000 B.C.E. to 1500 C.E.
Kongo Across the Waters
edited by Susan Cooksey, Robin Poynor, and Hein Vanhee
Explores the transatlantic connections between Central Africa and North America over the past 500 years in the visual and performing arts of both cultures
Online
The Art of Africa: A Resource for Educators | MetPublications | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Includes a brief introduction and history of the continent, an explanation of the role of visual expression in Africa, and descriptions of the form and function of forty traditional works from sub-Saharan Africa in the Metropolitan’s collection
Collection | National Museum of African Art | Smithsonian Institution
Explore objects from across the African continent, from ancient times to the present
The Essential Art of African Textiles: Design Without End | MetPublications | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Explores the techniques and traditions of West African textiles
In the Library
Byzantium and Islam : Age of Transition, 7th-9th Century
edited by Helen C Evans with Brandie Ratliff
Features art, architecture and decorative arts, with color photographs
Islamic Art : Architecture, Painting, Calligraphy, Ceramics, Glass, Carpets
by Luca Mozzati
Covers the basic elements and history of art, architecture and design throughout the Islamic world
Online
Calligraphy in Islamic art | Victoria and Albert Museum
Describes the history of calligraphy in Islamic art, the materials used in works featuring calligraphy, and information about calligraphers
Discover Islamic Art | Museum With No Frontiers
Includes high-resolution images of over 1200 works of Islamic art and architecture from across the Islamic world, along with scholarly entries for each object and brief bibliographies for further reading
Geometric Patterns in Islamic Art | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Provides an overview of the use of geometric patterns in Islamic art, with links to additional Heilbrunn Timeline essays and objects in The Met collections
Medieval | Victoria and Albert Museum
Features medieval art, architecture and decorative arts, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes. The article on Medieval Monasteries is particularly good. To see more images, scroll down to Related images from the collection, click Search the Collections home, and search for Medieval
The Nature of Islamic Art | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Provides a brief overview of Islamic art, with links to additional Heilbrunn Timeline essays and objects in The Met collections
Svetlana Tomekovic Collection of Byzantine Art | Index of Christian Art
Features art and architecture, with an emphasis on churches and frescoes. Includes images that may be used for educational purposes
In the Library
Churches & Cathedrals : Masterpieces of Architecture
by Stacey McNutt
Features art and architecture of European churches from the early Christian period through the Middle Ages and Gothic periods, along with the revival styles of later European and American churches. Includes color photographs
The Cloisters : Medieval Art and Architecture
by Peter Barnet and Nancy Y. Wu
Features art, architecture and architectural ornamentation, with color photographs and floor plans
Gothic Art
by Victoria Charles and Klaus H. Carl
Covers Gothic art and architecture throughout Europe, with color photographs and floor plans
Masterpieces : Medieval Art
by James Robinson
Features art and decorative arts, with color photographs
Romanesque Art
by Victoria Charles and Klaus H. Carl
Covers Romanesque art and architecture throughout Europe, with color photographs and floor plans
Romanesque Art
Covers Romanesque art and architecture throughout Europe, with color photographs
Online
Decorative Arts: Middle Ages | The Louvre
Features medieval art, tapestries, and other decorative arts, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes. To see images of the art works, click on Decorative Arts on the left, then click Middle Ages on the right, and make sure to browse all the rooms
Gothic | Victoria and Albert Museum
Features Gothic art, architecture and decorative arts, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes. The article on Gothic Architecture is particularly good. To see more images, scroll down to Related images from the collection, click Search the Collections home, and search for Gothic
Medieval | Victoria and Albert Museum
Features medieval art, architecture and decorative arts, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes. The article on Medieval Monasteries is particularly good. To see more images, scroll down to Related images from the collection, click Search the Collections home, and search for Medieval
Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts | The Morgan Library & Museum
Focuses on illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes
Style Guide: Romanesque | Victoria and Albert Museum
Features Romanesque art, architecture and decorative arts, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes. To see more images, scroll down to Related images from the collection, click Search the Collections home, and search for Romanesque
In the Library
The Palladian Ideal
by Joseph Rykwert
Features interiors, exteriors and architectural details of buildings designed by Palladio and by other architects in the Palladian tradition, with color photographs, floor plans and drawings
Renaissance
Covers Renaissance art and architecture throughout Europe, with color photographs and floor plans
The Renaissance : Masterpieces of Art and Architecture
by Susan Wright
Covers Renaissance art and architecture throughout Europe, with drawings and color photographs
Sotheby's Auction Catalogs : French and Continental Furniture & Decorations
Auction catalogs feature French, Italian and other European furniture and decorative arts from the Renaissance to the present, with color photographs
Online
Baroque | Victoria and Albert Museum
Features Baroque art, architecture, interiors, ornamentation, and decorative arts, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes. The Baroque Style Guide is particularly good. To see more images, scroll down to Related images from the collection, click Search the Collections home, and search for Baroque
Decorative Arts: Renaissance | The Louvre
Features Renaissance art, furniture, tapestries, and other decorative arts, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes. To see images of the art works, click on Decorative Arts on the left, then click Renaissance on the right, and make sure to browse all the rooms
Renaissance | Victoria and Albert Museum
Features Renaissance art, architecture and decorative arts, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes. The Renaissance Style Guide is particularly good. To see more images, scroll down to Related images from the collection, click Search the Collections home, and search for Renaissance
In the Library
Golden Age of Spain : Painting, Sculpture, Architecture
by Joan Sureda
Features Spanish art and architecture from 1492 to 1659, with color photographs
Moorish Architecture in Andalusia
by Marianne Barrucand and Achim Bednorz
Features architecture and architectural ornamentation, with color photographs, floor plans and line drawings
Romanesque Art
Covers Romanesque art and architecture throughout Europe, with color photographs and a chapter on Spain
Online
Islamic Architecture | Victoria and Albert Museum
Provides a wealth of information on and images of architecture and ornamentation through the Islamic world, including the Alhambra in Spain
Medieval & Renaissance Design Styles | Victoria and Albert Museum
Features a number of different design styles, which together tell the story of early European art and culture from 300 to 1600
In the Library
Châteaux of the Loire Valley
by Jean-Marie Pérouse de Montclos and Robert Polidori
Covers art, architecture, interiors, and furnishings, with drawings and color photographs
European Furniture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art : Highlights of the Collection
Features furniture dating from the Renaissance through the 19th century from French, England, Italy, Spain, Germany, and other parts of Europe
The French Archive of Design and Decoration
by Stafford Cliff
Highlights French furniture, textiles, wall coverings, and ornamentation from the 18th century to the start of the 20th century, with line drawings, sketches, renderings, and color photographs
Period Rooms in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
by Amelia Peck
Highlights French Baroque and Rococo interiors and furnishings, with color photographs
Renaissance
Covers Renaissance art and architecture throughout Europe, with color photographs and floor plans
Sotheby's Auction Catalogs : French and Continental Furniture & Decorations
Auction catalogs feature French, Italian and other European furniture and decorative arts from the Renaissance to the present, with color photographs
Versailles : A Private Invitation
by Guillaume Picon and Francis Hammond
Features art, architecture, furniture, textiles, and other decorative arts, with color photographs
The Wrightsman Galleries for French Decorative Arts, the Metropolitan Museum of Art
by Daniëlle O. Kisluk-Grosheide
Showcases late 17th- and 18th-century French furniture from Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical periods, with color photographs
Online
Baroque | Victoria and Albert Museum
Features Baroque art, architecture, ornamentation and decorative arts, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes. The Baroque Style Guide is particularly good. To see more images, scroll down to Related images from the collection, click Search the Collections home, and search for Baroque
Decorative Arts | The Louvre
Features art, furniture, tapestries, and other decorative arts, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes. To see images of the art works, click on Decorative Arts on the left, then click Renaissance or 17th-18th centuries on the right, and make sure to browse all the rooms
Rococo | Victoria and Albert Museum
Features Rococo art, architecture, ornamentation and decorative arts, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes. The Rococo Style Guide is particularly good. To see more images, scroll down to Related images from the collection, click Search the Collections home, and search for Rococo
In the Library
Historic Interiors of England, Wales and Northern Ireland : A Photographic Tour
by Margaret Willes
Features interiors, furnishings and ornamentation, with color photographs
The Northern Renaissance
by Jeffrey Chipps Smith
Explores Renaissance art and architecture in England, France, Germany, and other parts of Europe
Sotheby's Auction Catalogs : English Furniture
Auction catalogs feature English furniture and decorative arts from the Renaissance to the present, with color photographs
The Victoria and Albert Museum's Textile Collection : Woven Textile Design in Britain from 1750 to 1850
by Natalie Rothstein
Highlights patterns used in British textiles, with color photographs
Online
British Galleries | Victoria and Albert Museum
Covers British art, architecture and design from 1500 to 1900, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes. To see more images, scroll down to Related images from the collection, click Search the Collections home, and search for British
Life in the Living Room 1600-2000 | The Geffrye Museum of the Home
Highlights interiors and furnishings of English homes from the 17th century to the present, with drawings, paintings and color photographs
Queen Anne | Fine Woodworking Gallery
Features chairs, dressers, desks, tables, and clocks in the Queen Anne style, with color photographs
In the Library
American Vernacular Buildings and Interiors, 1870-1960
by Herbert Gottfried and Jan Jennings
Features American architecture, interiors, furnishings, and architectural ornamentation, with photographs, floor plans and line drawings
Classic Georgian Style
by Henrietta Spencer-Churchill
Features Georgian architecture, interiors, furnishings, and gardens, with color photographs and line drawings
Colonial Houses : The Historic Homes of Williamsburg
by Hugh Howard
Features early American architecture, interiors and furnishings, with color photographs and floor plans
Early Georgian Furniture, 1715-1740
by Adam Bowett
Features Georgian tables, seating, case goods, and other furniture, with color photographs, line drawings and details
English Style & Decoration : A Sourcebook of Original Designs
by Stafford Cliff
Features architectural details, interiors and furnishings from several English periods, with color photographs and line drawings
Great American Houses and Their Architectural Styles
by Virginia and Lee McAlester
Features American architecture, interiors and furnishings, with color photographs and floor plans
Regency Style
by Steven Parissien
Features Regency architecture, interiors and furnishings, with color photographs, line drawings and sketches
Sotheby's Auction Catalogs : English Furniture
Auction catalogs feature English furniture and decorative arts from the Renaissance to the present, with color photographs
Sotheby's Auction Catalogs : French and Continental Furniture & Decorations
Auction catalogs feature French, Italian and other European furniture and decorative arts from the Renaissance to the present, with color photographs
Online
American Furniture | Art Institute of Chicago
Features American furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries, with over 200 high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes. Click on Decorative Arts in the left sidebar to see American Decorative Arts from the 1700s to the present
Boston Furniture Archive | Winterthur
Features furniture produced between 1630 and 1930 in the Boston area
British Galleries | Victoria and Albert Museum
Covers British art, architecture and design from 1500 to 1900, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes. To see more images, scroll down to Related images from the collection, click Search the Collections home, and search for British
Decorative Arts | The Louvre
Features art, furniture, tapestries, and other decorative arts, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes. To see images of the art works, click on Decorative Arts on the left, then click 17th-18th centuries or 19th century on the right, and make sure to browse all the rooms
Digital Encyclopedia of George Washington | George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate, Museum & Gardens
Includes entries about the buildings, architectural details, and furnishings of Mount Vernon, with contemporary photographs and historic paintings, drawings, and other illustrations
Digital Library for the Decorative Arts and Material Culture | University of Wisconsin
Features early American furniture, ceramics and prints, with hundreds of high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes
Empire and Regency: Decoration in the Age of Napolean | New York Public Library Digital Gallery
Features Empire and Regency art, architecture, interiors, and decorative arts objects, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes
Fine Woodworking Gallery
Features furniture in various styles of the 18th and 19th centuries, including Chippendale and Federal, with hundreds of high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes
The Geffrye Museum of the Home : Search the Collections
Highlights interiors and furnishings of English homes from the 17th century to the present, with drawings, paintings and color photographs. Search for Georgian or Regency; click Refine search and check Decoration and furnishings to focus in on furniture
Life in the Living Room 1600-2000 | The Geffrye Museum of the Home
Highlights interiors and furnishings of English homes from the 17th century to the present, with drawings, paintings and color photographs
Neo-classicism | Victoria and Albert Museum
Includes a wealth of information on and many pictures of neoclassical art, architecture, interiors, and decorative arts and on architects Robert Adam and James 'Athenian' Stuart, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes
Regency | Victoria and Albert Museum
Covers Regency art, architecture, ornamentation, interiors, and furnishings, with high-quality images that may be used for educational purposes. The Regency Classicism Style Guide is particularly good. To see more images, scroll down to Related images from the collection, click Search the Collections home, and search for Regency
- LIBRARY HOURS
- DISD EMAIL
-
VIA ePORTFOLIOS
(requires login)
- BOOKLIST
- DISD LIBRARY CATALOG
-
PROQUEST CENTRAL
Ebooks and online articles from magazines and journals (requires login)
-
BUILDINGGREEN
Articles and product info (requires login)
-
KRAVET’S WEBSITE
Fabrics, wallcoverings and more (requires login)
-
MEDLINE PLUS
Health and medical information
- EMAIL THE LIBRARY
Close
Recommend a book, magazine or website
Please fill out as much information as you can to recommend a resource. If you are recommending a book, feel free to include an Amazon or Google Books link.