Artists’ Libraries: A Resource for Art History

keywords

library, artist's library, artists, art history, written sources, resources, archives, book, reading, genetics, circulation, network, imaginary picture gallery

Summary

Current research and work on artists’ libraries, which are relatively recent and based on the corpus, are inspired by the history of books and reading, strengthened by an interest in the archives as elements of a work of art, and an interest arising from genetic analysis and recognition of the place of artists in intellectual life. Artists’ libraries, when documented and sometimes preserved, not only represent a source, but can also become a resource facilitating an approach to the art works’ creation, and to the study of the circulation of ideas, concepts, poetics and images within artistic groups and circles. One of the issues addressed in this article is the access they offer to the artists’ imaginary museums, shared with contemporary readers of the same illustrated works of artistic literature. Finally, the content of these volumes, their dedications, and annotations specify the modalities of cultural appropriation, testify to the ways of reading, and highlight the relational networks of their owners.