Searching for images online
There are many different ways to search for images online. General image searches are wide ranging but often produce large numbers of irrelevant or unreliable results. Advanced image searching can be notoriously difficult to refine, especially if the artist and title are unknown.
Recent developments in image searching are becoming increasingly more sophisticated. State-of-the-art techniques include IBM’s QBIC (Query by Image Content) which searches for images using highly refined colour and layout queries.
You can check this out in the Digital Collections of the State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg.
Images online and arts databases
General image searches
Art Museum Image Consortium
Public and subscription based image search options available.
ClipArt Review
“A guide to free graphics on the web”. Mostly arranged by category.
Corbis
Microsoft’s vast digital image collection, selected images are freely available.
Picture Australia
The National Library of Australia’s online picture database of image collections from libraries, museums, art galleries, universities and cultural agencies nationwide. Includes: artworks/culture/people/places/events…
Symbols
Vast online collection of signs and symbols in the western world.
Virtual art galleries
Check out these virtual art galleries or link to the online sites of major art galleries and museums worldwide.
Artmagick
Searching for angels, dragonslayers or mythical beasts? Artmagick is a virtual art gallery featuring art movements of the late 19th and early 20th century which focus on the romantic and mystical - PreRaphaelites/Symbolists /Art Nouveau.
Web Gallery of Art
Virtual museum of European painting and sculpture mainly from the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods (1150-1800). Especially good for Renaissance art.
Webmuseum
‘Famous Paintings’ gallery of Gothic to contemporary art images. Mainly European with a strong French focus: Impressionists, Matisse etc.
New Zealand
Note that the general image searches listed above (especially Google Image Search ) include many New Zealand images. Many images are also available through the websites of New Zealand's online art galleries and museums.
Key sources
Auckland City Art Gallery -Toi o Tāmaki collection database
Search Auckland Art Gallery’s permanent collection online.
Timeframes
Heritage images from the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington.
Search tip: Use the ‘Advanced Search’ option for more precise searching. |
