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The Library’s
collections of 285,000 books, 80,000 auction catalogs, and
more than one million photographs are complemented by a large collection
of microforms and a growing number of electronic
resources. In addition, the Library is a repository for archives
and special collections documenting the history of art and collecting in America.
Scope
The primary collection strengths are the text and
image documents about works of art, their history, provenance, and
patronage; related materials on collections, exhibitions, and sales;
as well as catalogues raisonnés and other research tools
that aid in the identification of artists, attributions, portraits,
iconography, technical analysis, and location of works of art and
their reproductions. Materials on art historiography and theory
are also collected.
Coverage
The primary collection categories are paintings, drawings
and watercolors, sculpture and illuminated manuscripts; secondary
categories include prints, stained glass, medals, mosaics, and tapestries.
Chronological and geographical parameters are from the fourth century
to the mid-twentieth century, encompassing Western European and
American schools of art in their broadest sense, e.g., Scandinavian,
Australian, Canadian, and Latin American as well as those not defined
by national boundaries, e.g., Byzantine. Materials in other categories
are collected according to the following guidelines:
- To ensure a comprehensive study of an artist's
complete oeuvre
- To establish the physical or cultural context of
a work, e.g., in situ
- To support research on furniture and decorative
objects in The Frick Collection
- To facilitate comparative studies with works outside
the Library's scope
Gift and Depository Program
Authors are encouraged to deposit their publications and research materials with the Library. Donations of books, photographs, and archival materials are welcome. A book donation is acknowledged with a bookplate and a credit line in the FRESCO record.
Contributions of additional information for the Library’s study photographs are valued, particularly as they relate to provenance, attribution history, and portrait subject identification. |
