Collins Memorial Library: SSI1-120: Hagia Sophia: From the Emperor's Church to the Sultan's Mosque: Types of Sources

Scholarly Journals

Definition:

Publications on focused aspects of a subject that report both retrospective and current information

Uses:

Scholarly research
Analysis

How to find:

Review bibliographies found in a source
Search art databases
For specific journals, search the title of the journal in Primo

Example:

Exhibition Catalog

Definition:

Publications which document a museum exhibit

Use:

Introductory essays may provide current thinking and new discoveries on the topic
Excellent source for images
May include artist biography and timeline

How to Find:

Search Primo using the phrase "exhibition catalogs"

The Mother of God by Maria Vassilaki
Call Number: Print Books N8070 .M67 2000
ISBN: 9788881187386
Publication Date: 2000-12-01
A complete survey of the representation of the Virgin in Byzantine art through a wide selection of works in all media. Icons, illuminated manuscripts, ivories, metalworks, marble reliefs and textiles, dating from the 6th to the 14th century coming from the Benaki Museum in Athens and from many other major public and private collections worldwide. This is the most original and up-to-date publication on the subject, in which art-historical, historical, iconographic and theological issues are brought together for the first time in an effort to cover all aspects of the cult and representation of the Mother of God.

Anthologies or Edited Books

Definition:

A published collection of essays written by multiple authors around a common artist or theme and compiled into a coherent work.

Uses:

Different perspectives on a topic

How to find:

Search Primo by keyword or subject. Look at the book's table of contents (item details in Primo) to determine if chapters are written by different authors. The word anthology or essay are also clues.

Example:

Hagia Sophia from the age of Justinian to the present by Robert Mark (Editor); Ahmet S. Cakmak (Editor)
Call Number: Print Books NA5870.A9 H34 1992
ISBN: 9780521416771
Publication Date: 1992-09-25
With its vast scale, immense cost, extraordinary speed of erection, and stunning interior space, the creation of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul between 532-537 is unparalleled in premodern, Western architecture. As such, the achievement begs answers to three important questions: the nature of the theoretical and material resources available to the early designers to achieve this great building; the behaviour over the centuries of its much modified structure under the action of environmental loadings; the ability of the present-day structure to withstand a major earthquake. In this volume, scholars and professionals from different disciplines exchange ideas and new information pertaining to the historical background, physical environment, design, and the state of the Hagia Sophia building structure over time.

Catalogue Raisonné

Definition:

A thorough, reasoned and systematic documentation of all works by an artist – the oeuvre – in a given medium (such as painting, sculpture, works on paper) or all media known at the time when the catalogue is prepared.

Uses:

Reproductions
Authentication
Critical assessment
Scholarly essays
Bibliography

How to find:

Search Primo using the phrase "Catalogues raisonnés"

Example:

Artemisia Gentileschi and the Authority of Art by Ward Bissell
Call Number: Print Books ND623.G364 B58 1998
ISBN: 9780271017877
Publication Date: 1999-04-27
One of the most memorable creative personalities of the Baroque age and arguably the most forcefully expressive and influential woman painter in history, the Roman-born Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1652/3) has become the central figure in the recovery of the history of art produced by women. Applying a rigorous methodology, this profusely illustrated study with interpretative text and catalogue raisonné embeds Gentileschi's pictorially and emotionally compelling pictures within the actual sociocultural contexts in and for which they were created. The interpretive text analyzes key pictures and primary literary evidence to reveal the sweep of Artemisia's oeuvre, chart her travels, define her standing with artists and patrons of the period, investigate the links between her financial situations and the artistic decisions that she made, and assess the validity of proposals regarding her activity as a still-life painter, her access to professional organizations, her level of literacy, and the nature of her subject matter. Exploring the question of the interrelationships among Gentileschi's gender and experiences as a woman, the state of her psyche, and her art, the text also confronts--and often challenges--the widely embraced feminist interpretation of her pictures. Many of the conclusions in the text are supported by an extensive register of archival documents and by the very core of the study: the first and only catalogue raisonné of Artemisia's autograph works, each of the fifty-seven pictures exhaustively investigated as to basic factual information, condition and color, iconography, history, documentation and dating, existing copies, and bibliography. Catalogues of misattributed and lost paintings complete this comprehensive volume.

Monographs

Definition:

A scholarly treatise on an individual artist or subject, presenting original research or scholarship

Uses:

In-depth treatment of a specialized topic
one volume work
intended for an academic audience
Extensive bibliography

How to find:

Search Primo by keyword or subject. Look for works by university presses or scholarly societies

Example:

Hagia Sophia, 1850-1950 by Robert S. Nelson
Call Number: Print Books NA5870.A9 N45 2004
ISBN: 9780226571713
Publication Date: 2004-07-14
Hagia Sophia, the Church of Holy Wisdom, sits majestically atop the plateau that commands the straits separating Europe and Asia. Located near the acropolis of the ancient city of Byzantium, this unparalleled structure has enjoyed an extensive and colorful history, as it has successively been transformed into a cathedral, mosque, monument, and museum. In Hagia Sophia, 1850-1950, Robert S. Nelson explores its many lives. Built from 532 to 537 as the Cathedral of Constantinople, Hagia Sophia was little studied and seldom recognized as a great monument of world art until the nineteenth century, and Nelson examines the causes and consequences of the building's newly elevated status during that time. He chronicles the grand dome's modern history through a vibrant cast of characters--emperors, sultans, critics, poets, archaeologists, architects, philanthropists, and religious congregations--some of whom spent years studying it, others never visiting the building. But as Nelson shows, they all had a hand in the recreation of Hagia Sophia as a modern architectural icon. By many means and for its own purposes, the West has conceptually transformed Hagia Sophia into the international symbol that it is today. While other books have covered the architectural history of the structure, this is the first study to address its status as a modern monument. With his narrative of the building's rebirth, Nelson captures its importance for the diverse communities that shape and find meaning in Hagia Sophia. His book will resonate with cultural, architectural, and art historians as well as with those seeking to acquaint themselves with the modern life of an inspired and inspiring building.

Textbooks

Definition:

Provide a survey of art history

Uses:

Provide general overview
Ideas for a topic
Clarify art historical periods and styles
Place artists within a framework of time and culture
Include numerous illustrations
Contain bibliographies

How to find:

Search Primo using the term "Art history"

Example:

Art History by Marilyn Stokstad; Michael Cothren
Call Number: Print Books (N5300 .S923 2014 )
ISBN: 9780205873487
Publication Date: 2013-01-08
Art History 5th edition continues to balance formal analysis with contextual art history in order to engage a diverse student audience.

In-Class Activity

Working in groups, identify the books you have been given. Indicate the type of source, its distinguishing characteristics, and how it would be used in research. Be prepared to share your findings with the class.