The National Gallery of Art Research Library

Doing research for your art history class? Want to find out what that piece or art in the attic is worth? Consider using the National Gallery of Art Research Library, accessible on Metro via the Smithsonian (Orange and Blue lines) and Archives/Navy Memorial (Green and Yellow) stations. Once you get to the National Gallery of Art (NGA), take note that the library is on the first floor of the East Building (i.e., the more modern-looking building).

According to its website, “The Library contains a comprehensive collection of more than 300,000 books, periodicals, and documents on the history, theory, and criticism of art and architecture. The emphasis is on Western art from the Middle Ages to the present (particularly Italian, Dutch, Flemish, German, French, Spanish, and British schools) and American art from the colonial era to the present. Microform and videodisc collections, along with extensive vertical files, supplement the Library’s book holdings.“

Reference staff at the NGA Library will also respond to inquiries by telephone (202-842-6511), so feel free to call in and get some research help, or just find out in advance what the library can offer you.