Art Resources

As I write art lesson plans and blog posts, I tend to use my favorite books and websites. At first, I tried to carefully cite my sources and provide a full bibliography, but after several years all the information has merged in my head and I rarely know where I got the information. Still, I want to give credit to the people who have done the most to educate me and offer a full citation to their works so that you can dig deeper yourself!

I provide links to things when I can, but sometimes they are to a newer printing because that’s what’s available.

fyi- This page is a work in progress!

Here’s what you’ll find here (aka Table of Contents)

  • Art History Books
  • Art History Websites

My Favorite Art History Books

I’ve had a lot of fun pursuing book store shelves and gathering my favorites. Here’s the books that have gained permanent shelf space in my home library. I put them is order of the ones I use most at the top (not the traditional alphabetical order):

  • Strickland, Carol, and John Boswell. The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post-Modern. Andrews McMeel, 1992. 
    • This is my favorite because it’s fun to read!
  • Tansey, Richard G. and Fred S Kleiner. Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1996.
    • This book is often used as a text book in art school, so look for it at used book stores!
  • Chilvers, Ian. Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists, 5th Ed. Oxford University Press (2009)
    • This is soooo comprehensive! My only complaint is that the font is extra small…
  • Jason, HW. A Basic History of Art, 2nd Ed. (1984 printing). Harry N. Abrams B. V., The Netherlands. 1971. (This book is also published under the title History of Art for Young People.)
  • Pearcey, Nancy. Saving Leonardo; A Call to Resist the Secular Assault on Mind, Morals, and Meaning. B&H Publishing Group. 2010.
    • I don’t quote from this often but it’s done a lot to shape the way I view art history!
  • Veith, Gene Edward. State of the Arts: From Bezalel to Mapplethorpe. Crossway Books. 1991.
    • Chapter 4, “A Walk Through a Museum,” is a wonderful overview of art history!
  • Sayre, Henry M. A World of Art, Rev. 4th Ed. Pearson Education. 2005.
  • The Story of Art
  • Krull, Kathleen. Lives of the Artists: Masterpieces, Messes, and What the Neighbors Thought. Harcourt Brace and Co. 1995.
    • This book for kids is a fun read-aloud
  • Courtney, Jennifer and Courtney Sanford. Marvelous to Behold. Classical Conversations MultiMedia, 2018.

My Favorite Art History Websites: