Studio Art Library Resources: Digital Image Search

Tips on searching ARTstor (see the screencast to the right for more information):

1. If you use the simple search function, it's a good idea to try to use the artist's last name or the name of the work of art to start out.

2. If you want to search more generally, try the advanced search function. It allows you to specify the geographic location, date range, classification (e.g. "drawings and watercolors," "paintings," "prints," etc.) and collection (if, for instance you only want to search Princeton's collection, not the whole of ARTstor).

For instance, in the simple search box, you might want to search for "Gauguin." But if you didn't know his name, you could go to advanced search and search in "France," specify the dates "1850-1950," specify "painting," and do a keyword search for "post-impressionism," and you'll get several results including Gauguin, Cezanne, Seurat, and others that fit that description.

3. Once you've got a result and double-clicked on it, there are several options you have for viewing it. Click on the "i" to see the full record, including creator, medium, date, description, and location. Click on the icon next to the "i" to view the image in full screen. Use the "+" and "-" icons to zoom in and out, and the circular arrow to rotate.

4. If you want to save the image that you found, you can download it to your computer by clicking the icon with the floppy disk. For each image you select, ARTstor will download two files--one will contain the image, and the other will contain all accompanying information.

Tips on searching the Bridgeman Educational Database:

1. This is a smaller database than ARTstor and some of the images may not have the same quality of resolution. However, ARTstor and Bridgeman have different collections so by searching both you may find additional works.

2. The advanced search option allows you to specify medium, date, artist, nationality, and location, among other things.

3. To copy or download the image, just right-click on the image itself.

4. There's also a "Subject" tab at the top that allows additional methods of searching. For instance, if you click on "Subject" and then "Japanese Art" and then "Ceramics," you can browse several Japanese ceramics collections.

5.You can also create a slideshow with images that you've chosen. Click on the "Using the Site" tab at the top and then "Slideshows" for detailed instructions.

Tips on searching CAMIO:

1. CAMIO is a bit different-looking than ARTstor and Bridgeman. For instance, once you do a keyword search, notice that there is a "Refine Your Search" bar to the right that will allow you to narrow your search to a specific year, creator, format, or subject.

2. When you click on an image, you will get a larger image and a full record. You can zoom in by clicking on parts of the image or click "View a high-resolution full image" at the top to see the largest possible resolution.

3. By clicking on the link to "Rights" below each image on the search results page, you can see what rights apply to an image. For instance, it may say that the image is approved for non-commercial, educational use.

4. You can select images from the search results page and add them to your "Favorites." Then, go to "View Favorites" in the top right-hand corner and you can create a slideshow of your favorites.

5. You can also browse the collection by museum or by type of work (photography, painting, etc.) by clicking on "Browse" in the top right-hand corner.

Tips on searching the Index of Christian Art:

1. There are several options for searching, but you may want to start with "Simple Search" or "Advanced Search." Select the field you want to search (or simply select "all fields,") type in your keywords, and select "work of art" from the "Base to Search" drop down menu.

2. When you get your results, you need to click on the NUMBER (not the title) to get to the full record. Once you are on the full record page, you will see the title, medium, subject terms, etc. You need to scroll ALL THE WAY DOWN to see the links to get to the image itself.

3. Note that many of the entries in an item record are links. You can click on these to search again--for instance, clicking on the "Style" entry will allow you to search for other items with the same style.

4. If you want to try the "Browse" option, keep in mind that any search you do will turn up a list of subject headings or some other index. In other words, if I search for "Mary" under the "Browse" tab, I will get an alphabetical listing of the different subject headings starting with "Mary." When I click on these, I'll be taken to an actual results page with items I can click on and view.

Tips on searching Masters of Architecture:

1. You can browse through the collections under the "Image Sets" on the top of the page, or do a simple search under "Architects Search" or "Image Search."

2. Once you have entered your search, click on the thumbnail to see a larger image and a description.

Tips on Searching NPM Online:

1. You can search by title and/or creator in top right corner of the home page. The home page also has options to browse by type of material (ceramic, calligraphy, painting, etc.) in the center.

2. The advanced search screen allows you to specify the materials and medium you are looking for as well as the specific dynasty it is from.

3. Don't know what dynasty you want? If you click on "Chronology" in the top navigation bar, you will see a timeline that tells you what dynasties occurred in what century. There is also an "Artist List" that breaks down the artists by dynasty.

4. On the search results page, click on a thumbnail to see a larger image as well as information about the artist, the medium, the dimensions, and the era. You can also print the image from this page.