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Library & Information Technology

Global Perspectives on Art History

What's in This Guide?

This guide provides library resources for viewing the history of art from a global perspective.​​​​​

In some ways, the history of art history is very much like a 16th century map of the world - created by Europeans from a European/Western perspective. In recent years, art historians have been trying to correct this myopic vision of world art by developing a global art history.

Global art history proposes to approach art from a global perspective in a way that transcends chronology and geography and to study it from all relevant disciplinary viewpoints imaginable, ranging from visual culture, cultural studies, and anthropology to neuroscience and philosophy. It explores new ways to not only account for how art and the discourses around it are increasingly global and interdisciplinary, but also put into contention the traditional Eurocentric focus on Western art-historical canons formed during colonialism and that are its legacy

Navigate the tabs on the left to find:

  • Learn about art & colonialism
  • Books and eBooks
  • Encyclopedias and background sources
  • Magazines and scholarly journals
  • Images for research and inspiration
  • Useful websites and organizations
  • Review the Dewey Decimal System
  • Get writing or citation help

Some introductory resources:

Art history and world art history from Smarthistory

Art History and the Global Challenge: A Critical Perspective Jonathan Harris

Selected books

Online Art History Bibliographies