The granddaddy here, of course, for art through the end of the 14th century (and, in the case of the Morgan Library Project, through the end of the 16th), may be Princeton University’s Index of Christian Art.
To search by scripture reference it is only necessary to go from the entry for the passage in question to the various subject headings to which it directs one, keeping in mind only this, that the Index begins with the Testament, as follows: "OT, Numbers 22:31" (which references "Balaam: opposed by Angel"), or "NT, Acts of the Apostles 21:08" (which references "Philip the Deacon: (Scene,) meeting Eunuch"); or "OT, Apocrypha, Baruch 01:01", "NT, Apocrypha, Acts of Pilate 01:02", and so forth. (Note that the place-holding zeros (sometimes two in the case of long books or chapters) are to Web-based searching, at least, extremely crucial, and that to do this over the Internet, one must select first "Browse" (not "Search"), and then the field "Text Reference" (only one of a whole slough of possibilities). Note further that there appear to be some inconsistencies: "NT, Acts 01:11", on the one hand, but also "NT, Acts of the Apostles 01:11", on the other, both of which reference "Christ: Ascension". Less is therefore sometimes more.)
(That from Jim’s and my two-year-old ATLA review, at http://www.atla.com/member/librarians_tools/reference_reviews/review1201.html.)
But of course the e-version of the Index remains, for now, woefully incomplete. So this isn’t really a practical suggestion for those much further away from hard copy than is Philadelphia! J
I look forward, therefore, to additional responses.
All the best,
Steve Perisho
Theology/Humanities/Fine Arts Librarian
Seattle Pacific University Library
Tel.: 206 281 2417; Fax: 206 281 2936
-----Original Message-----
From: ART LIBRARIES SOCIETY
DISCUSSION LIST [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Sara J. MacDonald
Sent: Thursday, March 04, 2004
10:20 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [ARLIS-L] Index to Bible
in art?
Dear
ARLIS-L,
I am wondering if there's an index similar to The Oxford guide to
classical mythology in the arts, 1300-1990s, for Biblical
stories.
We have plenty of materials on iconography, but our students get assignments in
which they're supposed to choose a passage or story from the Bible and then
find it depicted in art (usually but not limited to painting). We have a
copy of Iconographic
index to Old Testament subjects represented in photographs and slides of
paintings in the visual collections, Fine Arts Library, Harvard University, but not the Iconographic index
to New Testament subjects.
I have gone through Fine Arts : A
Bibliographic Guide, American Reference
Books Annual, The Humanities : A
Selective Guide to Information Sources and Jones' Art Research: Methods and Resources and
haven't come across anything else that sounds exactly right. Any
suggestions? Web sites?? Thanks.
Sara
-------------------------------------------
Sara J. MacDonald, Public Services Librarian
The University of the Arts - University Libraries
320 S. Broad St., Philadelphia PA 19102 USA
Voice: 215-717-6282 Fax: 215-717-6287
[log in to unmask] http://library.uarts.edu/