Artcyclopedia

This site offers a great source for preliminary information and leads on artworks and artists.  A list is offered for the location of specific works of art by a particular artist with links to specific museums housing the works.  It is a good resource for images.  Links are also provided to the latest research and articles on particular works/artists.

http://www.artcyclopedia.com

Art History Resources on the Web

This is a fairly comprehensive website that offers a complete guide and outline to all periods of art history.  The resource offers historical data, biographical, bibliographical and links to resources from Prehistory to the modern world with accompanying timelines and links.  Articles and journals can also be found through this website. 

http://witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHLinks.html

Art Links on the Web

This is a site that offers links to other sites.  This is a great place to start but it can be overwhelming. 

http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/Artweb_frames.html

Art History Research Centre

This is a premiere online resource for any and every art historian.  The whole art world is at your finger tips. 

http://www.harmsen.net/ahrc/

American Association for Museums

This is really a guide to professionals in the field of museum studies. It has timely material on dealing with art in museums, such as the recent sacking of the Baghdad Museum, and efforts to return stolen goods to their original owner/country of origin.  AAM deals with the most current issues on art and its relation to society.

http://www.aam-us.org

ArtNet

Perhaps not as comprehensive as some of the other websites, ArtNet does offer biographies, timelines, and a retrospective of exhibitions on a particular artist.  ArtNet also lists art works for sale in case purchasing a Picasso will help with current research! (An expensive research paper). 

http://www.artnet.com

Artnews

As with any art research it is important to keep abreast on museum exhibitions taking place around the world.  Art News offers the latest exhibitions and news from every city around the world.  The directory offers a city by city guide at the top of the homepage. 

http://www.artnews.info

Grove Art Online

Grove Art has always been a great source of art information when it was in book form (still is).  Grove Art Online offers a scholarly resource for biographical and bibliographical information on artists and subjects in the art world. 

http://www.groveart.com

The Louvre Museum

This is the other monster of the museum world that acts as a great guide to art and artists.  The Louvre website offers a chance to see works close-up online.  It also offers educational tools and information, especially about works in its collection (quirky information) that might not be found elsewhere. 

http://www.louvre.fr/llv/dossiers/liste_themes.jsp?bmLocale=en

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

This is one of the most remarkable collections in the world.  There is a movement in the museum world to make images from the permanent collection available online.  The Met is one of the leaders for art information available online, including bibliographic lists that pertain to temporary and permanent collections. 

http://www.metmuseum.org

National Gallery of Art

Web site of the National Gallery of Art. Includes links to some of the collections.

http://www.nga.gov/collection/

Art of the First Cities: The Third Millennium B.C. from the Mediterranean to the Indus

This site is an online companion to the landmark exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art which "surveys the flourishing of the world’s earliest civilizations in Mesopotamia and surrounding regions — stretching from the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean across Iran and Central Asia to the Indus Valley" 5,000 years ago. Viewers select themes such as death and burial, or clothing and personal adornment, to see annotated images of items. Also includes an essay and audio samples.

URL: http://www.metmuseum.org/special/se_event.asp?OccurrenceId={9B8FB8E8-AE97-11D6-945F-00902786BF44}

Timelines of Art History: The World (BC/BCE)

"This is an educational website which is dedicated to art history. Timelines presents selected resources (web links) about the art and archaeology of ancient civilizations, including: Egypt, Greece and Rome, Asia, and the Middle East. ... Timelines pages are organized by civilization and period." Many of the linked sites include images. From an art history enthusiast.

URL: http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/timelines/tl001.html

Timeline of Art History

This timeline features art history through 1600 A.D. The Timeline allows visitors to compare the cultures of peoples around the world beginning in prehistoric times. Explore Roman territories, trade routes, Celtic Gaul, Britain, Pannonia, the Nabataean Kingdom, and more. Coverage includes "key historical and cultural events of the period in chronological order." Information for each piece includes artist's name (if known), title, date, culture, medium, dimensions, credit line, accession number, and a description. From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

URL: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/splash.htm