Collections
The Library of the Institute of Art History owns over 72000 volumes; about 25000 of them are bound volumes and loose issues of periodicals. Endowed with a large number of publications on art, with rare books and a rich photo archive, the Library is unique in Romania. The collections cover mainly the history of Western and Eastern European art, with particular strength in the areas of Medieval and Byzantine art, Modern Art (Impressionism and post-Impressionism), history of Romanian art and culture, art theory and criticism, applied arts and architecture.
Highlights of Library Holdings. Books and periodicals
● major lexicons ranging from the legacy of Enlightenment authors to contemporary works: Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, 28 vols., 1751-1772; Viollet-le-Duc, Dictionnaire raisonné de l'architecture française du XIe au XVIe siècle, 10 vols., 1854-1869; Thieme-Becker, Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler, 37 vols., 1907-1950; H. Vollmer, Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler des XX. Jahrhunderts, 6 vols., 1953-1962; The Dictionary of Art, ed. by Jane Turner, 34 vols., 1996; Saur Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon, vols.1-36, 1994-2003; Lexikon der Kunst, 7 vols., 1987-1994; The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, 3 vols., 1991; Wessel and Restle, Reallexikon zur Byzantinischen Kunst, 3 vols., 1966-1993; Lexikon der christlichen Iconographie, 8 vols., 1994;
● a collection of 2000 periodicals, many of which are excellent references in the field of art history: Répertoire d'art et d'archéologie (1910-1989) continued by Bibliographie d'Art et d'Archéologie (1990-1999), Gazette des Beaux-Arts (1859-2002), Jahrbuch der kunsthistorischen Sammlungen (1883-1916), Jahrbuch der königlich preussischen Kunstsammlungen (1880-1943), The Burlington Magazine (1931-1998), The Art Bulletin (1963-2004), Revue de l'Art (1968-1999), Byzantinische Zeitschrift (1958-1976), Cahiers de civilization médiévale (1964-2008), Art History (1978-2007) etc.;
● extensive historiographic works such as Adolfo Venturi, Storia dell'arte italiana, 18 vols., 1901-1937, or N. Likhachev, Matériaux pour l'histoire de l'iconographie russe, 2 vols., 1906-1908 etc.;
● old catalogues of great artists' oeuvre: W. Bode, L'Oeuvre complet de Rembrandt, 7 vols., 1897; Friedrich Lippmann, Zeichnungen von Albrecht Dürer in Nachbildungen, 4 vols., Berlin, 1883;
● George Oprescu fonds (about 6000 vols.), containing rare editions: Evangheliarul de la Snagov, 1697; Dimitrie Cantemir, The History of the Growth and Decay of the Ottoman Empire, London, 1756; Biblia Sacra, 1607 etc.;
● rare catalogues of outstanding public and private collections: Antoine Mongez, Tableaux, statues, bas-reliefs et camées, de la Galerie de Florence et du Palais Pitti, dessinés par Wicar, peintre, gravés sous la direction de C.-L. Masquelier. Avec les Explications par Mongez, 4 vols., Paris, 1789-1807; G.C. Williamson, Catalogue of the Collection of Miniatures, the Property of J. Pierpont Morgan, 4 vols., 1906-1908, and Catalogue of the Collection of Jewels and Precious Works of Art, the Property of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1910; G. Henriot, Collection David Weill, 3 tomes in 5 vols. (t. 1. Peintures; t. 2. Pastels, aquarelles, gouaches, tableaux modernes; t. 3. Dessins), Paris, 1926.
The Library holdings are complemented by notable collections of books in the fields of theatre, music, film, archaeology, history of literature, philosophy, sociology, religion, politics, ethnography. Readers can also enjoy works of belles lettres in wonderfully illustrated art editions.
Special Collections
● the visual archive owns 108000 photographic prints, 21000 film negatives and 12593 glass negatives primarily related to Romanian fine and folk art. However, the set of photographs on European art and architecture is also noticeable. A number of approximately 1000 digital images of Romanian mural painting has been recently added to the archive. The collection of theatre photos (around 7500 photographs and 2000 negatives) is of great documentary interest: apart from NTB Museum, the Institute holds the largest stock of photos concerning theatre all over Romania from the 19th century till 1970.
● the multimedia archive contains hundreds of music recordings in various formats (vinyl plates, tapes, cassettes, CDs), as well as 60 video recordings of theatre productions from the last two decades.
● the manuscript collection includes papers of art critics and historians (G. Oprescu, Mircea Popescu, Eleonora Costescu, Vilhelm Beneș, Maria Golescu, Ștefan Balș, Paul Petrescu, Roswith Capesius), the personal archive of Victor Brătulescu (member of the Commission for Historical monuments in the interwar period) and music manuscripts on microfilm.
