Resources for Print Research: Books, Journals, & DVDs

Library and internet resources related to original art prints and printmaking--books, journals, catalogues, trends, techniques, collections, organizations, and more.

Finding Books

Learning what books are available in the library simply means checking the catalog by author, title, subject or keyword.

KU Catalog Search collections available in all library locations at the Univ. of Kansas.

WorldCat Includes millions of records describing items owned by OCLC member libraries, including the KU Libraries.

Catalog for the Spencer Art Library at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Located in Kansas City, MO, this art research library is open to the public but must be used on-site. The hours are listed on the library website.  

Lawrence Public Library in Lawrence, KS Located at 7th & Vermont, this public library has a good art collection.  

DVDs

All about Prints: 500 Years of Prints and Printmaking. (San Francisco, CA: distributed by Microcinema International, Inc., c2009)  A documentary DVD that invites novices and experienced collectors alike to explore the art of printmaking from the perspective of influential curators, collectors, dealers, printmakers, and artists

Monotypes and Monoprints. (Glenview, IL: Crystal Productions, c2001). In this DVD, Nick Capaci and Jonde Northcutt demonstrate techniques for creating monotypes and monoprints.

The Fantastic World of M.C. Escher. (Silver Spring, MD: Acorn Media, 2006) Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972) has a dedicated following but who was the man behind the intricate and mysterious designs? What inspired his unique and often bizarre prints? This DVD explores these questions through interviews, computer animated recreations of his work, and a look at his sources of inspiration.

History of Prints

Selected Print Journals

There are many journals dedicated to print research currently published and even more that have existed in the past. Additionally, articles on prints may appear in an array of art magazines. Here just a sample of some of the specialized titles:

Journal of the Print World logo

Journal of the Print World, 1978-. Quarterly publication with articles announcing and reviewing museum and gallery shows of art on paper; announcements of Fine Print Fairs, Art Expositions, and Antique Shows; articles on the style and intent of the Old Masters, Contemporary artists, ateliers, and the avant garde; and book reviews.

Print Quarterly issue cover

Print Quarterly, 1984-. Quarterly, peer-reviewed, journal dedicated to the art of the print from its origins in the 15th c. to the present. Publishing recent scholarship on a wide range of topics, including printmakers, iconography, social and cultural history, popular culture, print collecting, book illustration, decorative prints, and techniques such as engraving, etching, woodcutting, lithography and digital printmaking.

Indexes & Bibliographies

To learn of an article in a journal on a topic that you are researching, you may need to use an index or bibliography. These tools can be searched like the Library Catalog using names, keywords, phrases, word combinations, etc. Different indexes may present the information in a variety of formats so you need to read the page carefully to determine how to proceed. Some indexes will only provide a CITATION to the article while others may provide a full-text version. If there is only a citation, look for the KULINK symbol to learn if there is a full-text online version, a paper copy in the library, or, if KU does not own, an option to borrow through Interlibrary Loan.

General indexes

Academic Search Complete Indexing and abstracts for more than 13,000 journals, with full text for more than 8,750 of those titles, over a broad spectrum of subjects.

Wilson OmniFile Full Text Select Provides indexing, abstracting and full-text content to journal articles in a variety of disciplines.

JSTOR (To access PDF articles, your browser must allow pop-ups for this site) Provides image and full-text online access of core academic journals in a variety of disciplines in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

Specialized art indexes

 Art Full Text Contains indexing and abstracting dating from 1984 for more than 600 periodicals and 13,000 dissertations on the subjects of art, architecture, urban planning, & design; journals are primarily but not exclusively English-language; full-text articles from over 300 journals dating from 1995; also indexes nearly 200,000 art reproductions that appear as illustrations for articles or advertisements. Can be combined with Art Index Retrospective to extend coverage to 1929.

ArtBibliographies Modern Abstracts of journal articles, books, essays, exhibition catalogs, dissertations, and exhibition reviews. Covers all aspects of modern and contemporary art with an emphasis on 20th & 21st century art.

Bibliography of the History of Art Indexes and abstracts art-related books, conference proceedings and dissertations, exhibition and dealers' catalogs, and periodical articles. Also includes the contents of two predecessor art indexes: Répertoire d'Art et d'Archéologie (1973-1989) and International Repertory of the Literature of Art (1975-1989).