Research Guides: VAPA 1050: Images

Image and Film Databases

ARTstor This link opens in a new window
Database of more than 300,000 digital images and associated data. ARTstor covers multiple time periods and cultures, and documents the fields of architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, and many other forms of visual culture. Users can search, view, and download images.
Films on Demand This link opens in a new window
Contains thousands of streaming documentaries in the humanities, social sciences and sciences. For criminal justice, it contains films in the areas of criminal investigation, criminal justice system and sociology.
PPR: Licensee and Authorized Users may stream, display, publicly perform, or exhibit the licensed materials asynchronously on a single computer or network, course management system, or password protected website for classroom teaching, research, presentations, and educational non-commercial multimedia projects for use in educational institutions, provided no admission or other fees are charged for public viewing. Licensed material may not be used for the purposes of monetary reward by means of admission charge or fee for viewing, sale, loan, transfer, or other form of exploitation.

National Gallery of Art Images
A repository of digital images of the collections of the National Gallery of Art.

Evaluating Websites

There are a few things you should consider when evaluating a website's credibility that you normally don't worry about with books and articles:

Spelling and Grammar

If a site is full of typos, don't use it as a source.

Dead Links

If many links on the website lead nowhere, no one is making an effort to maintain the site.

Type of Website

.edu = educational institution, like a university’s website
.gov = United States government website
.org = organizational website, often for a non-profit organization but not always
.com & .net = commercial website and most likely the least credible of the websites

Finding Information on the Web

It is important to critically examine potential web resources for relevancy and reliability. Below are some recommended web resources related to your course and a list of helpful tips for evaluating information found on the web.

Image Websites

Web Gallery of Art
The Web Gallery of Art is a virtual museum and searchable database of Western (European) fine arts of the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, and Impressionism periods (1000-1900), currently containing over 35.100 reproductions. Artist biographies, commentaries, guided tours, period music, catalogue, free postcard and mobile services are provided.
Mother of All Art History Links
This site is affiliated with the University of Michigan and links to art history departments, research resources, resources for visual collections, image collections, online exhibitions, art schools, art museums, and textual and linguistic resources.
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History is funded by the Heilbrunn Foundation, New Tamarind Foundation, and Zodiac Fund. The Timeline of Art History presents the Met’s collection via a chronological, geographical, and thematic exploration of global art history. Targeted at students and scholars of art history, it is an invaluable reference, research, and teaching tool. Authored by the Met’s experts.