SMFA Library: Drawing: Images

Contact us!

Please feel free to get in touch with a librarian at any stage of your research process. Stop by the library (located on the third floor of the B side of the Fenway building), or get in touch directly with:

Ashley Peterson

apeterson@smfa.edu
617-369-3653

Darin Murphy

dmurphy@smfa.edu
617-369-3651

Circulation Desk (evening and weekend contact)

library@smfa.edu
617-369-3650

Artstor

Artstor This link opens in a new window
Artstor is a great place to begin your image search. It provides access to 1.6 million (and growing) high-quality images contributed by over 1,500 museums, galleries, universities, and libraries worldwide. Additionally, the SMFA Library regularly uploads digitized images from our newest print books, ensuring that the collection represents a broad spectrum of contemporary art.

Please note that off-campus access to ARTstor is not granted through your library barcode. You will need to create an account on-campus using your e-mail address, after which you will have remote access for 120 days. To renew your off-campus access, simply log in from a computer on the SMFA campus.

Camio

CAMIO This link opens in a new window
CAMIO stands for “Catalog of Art Museum Images Online.” Here you will find images of art from museum collections worldwide, including objects from the MFA Boston, the Library of Congress, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Other image resources for Drawing

Google Art Project
This resource features over 40,000 images of artworks from museums, galleries, and cultural institutions in 40 countries. Some images are presented in "gigapixel" format, allowing for extremely detailed viewing. Using Google Street View technology, you can also take a virtual "walk" through places such as the Doge's Palace in Venice, the National Museum of Korea, and Versailles.
Historical Anatomies on the Web
An online gallery of high-quality images from anatomical atlases in the National Library of Medicine’s collection.
Library of Congress Online Collection of Documentary Drawings
Includes more than 3,000 drawings made between 1750 and 1970. Eye-witness sketches made during the U.S. Civil War are the most frequently used images.
Library of Congress Online Collection of Master Drawings
Includes about 5,000 original drawings, most dating between 1830 and 1930. Most of the drawings are by American artist Joseph Pennell (1857-1926). For a full list of artists represented in this collection, browse the Creator/Related Name Index.

Google Image Search

Do you know about Google Advanced Image Search? Give it a try! It's a great way to harness the power of the regular Google Image Search toward delivering quality, trustworthy results. Some tips:

In the "image size" menu, select a larger option to help ensure image quality.
In the "site or domain" field, enter .edu and/or .org. This will limit your search to sites (from museums, universities, etc.) that are more likely to include complete and accurate information with image files.
Try filtering your search by "usage rights." In most cases, using images for scholarly work (papers, presentations) is protected by Fair Use, but incorporating images into the output of your artistic practice is a thornier issue. Knowing the licensing information for images you use is a smart way to work.

Drawing Images

Unknown artist, Woman's prayer drawing, 20th cent.

Artstor

Elizabeth Peyton, Nick (First drawing), 2002

Artstor

Joe Brainard, If Nancy Knew..., 1972

Artstor

Alex Katz, Landscape Near Pond, 1950

Artstor

Drawing: Images

Accessing Images

Contact us!

Artstor

Camio

Other image resources for Drawing

Google Image Search

Drawing Images

Unknown artist, Woman's prayer drawing, 20th cent.

Elizabeth Peyton, Nick (First drawing), 2002

Joe Brainard, If Nancy Knew..., 1972

Alex Katz, Landscape Near Pond, 1950

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