Search Help

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Keyword Search

• Go to Search by Keyword, the first heading in the blue navigation bar on the left side of the screen. In the white box, type in a word-either an artist's name (e.g., "Monet"), or a term (e.g., "landscape"). Click the "Go" button next to the Search box.
• Next, you will see a screen that says "Search Results." Next to this, there are two tabs: Artworks and Resources. The Artworks tab is displayed in front and the Resources is the blue tab behind it. To view the resources, click on the Resources tab.
• Artworks:
  • You will see a list of artworks with thumbnail images related to your search. (This page shows ten artworks at a time. To see more artwork results, click on "Next ten" at the top or the bottom of the page.)
  • Click on the title of any artwork (in blue typeface) or the thumbnail image to see an enlargement.
  • From this screen, you can
    • view an enlargement
    • zoom in on details of an artwork (select artworks only)
    • license the image. This feature allows the user to legally download the image for their use. Depending on the use, there may be a fee involved, but that fee is generally waived for educational use.
• Resources:
  • Click on the Resources tab, located next to the Artworks tab. You will see a list of informational and teaching aids, including texts, artist biographies, online games, etc.
  • Click on the title of any resource (in blue typeface) or on the gray square next to the title to view that particular resource.

Advanced Search

• Click on Advanced Search, in the blue navigation bar on the left side of the screen, under the Search by Keyword box. This will bring you to a new screen with three sections that contain search entry fields. You may fill in as much or as little information as you need, depending on how broad or narrow you would like your search to be.
  • Scroll through the three sections, filling in information to locate the artworks and resources you need. You do not need to use every section or every field. For a descriptions of search entry fields, please see the section below.
  • After making your selections, you must scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Go."
  • This will bring you to a "Search Results" page, listing artworks and resources related to your search. Follow the directions for Artworks and Resources listed under the directions for Keyword Search.

Search Entry Field Descriptions

• Keyword Section
  • Keyword: enter a word, artist name, title, medium, subject, etc.
  • Artist name: this section is a drop-down list of all the artists on Art Explorer. Select an artist from this list.
  • Subject: this is a drop-down list of categories of artworks on Art Explorer.
• Artworks section: you can enter/select from the dropdown of information.
  • Title: title of an artwork (or partial title of an artwork)
  • Nationality of Artist: drop-down list of countries; to see results for artists born in a specific country
  • Medium: the materials artists use to create an artwork, such as oil, ink, lithography, etc.
  • Made between years: this section assists users who are looking for an artwork but are not sure of its exact date. For example, typing "between 1880 and 1890" will bring up artworks created between 1880 and 1890.
  • Accession Number: this refers to the number used by museums around the world to identify artworks.
  • Location: drop-down list of the Impressionist and Postimpressionist galleries at the Art Institute, if you are looking for an artwork in a specific gallery. Click the "On view in museum" checkbox if you would like to see only artworks that are currently on view at the Art Institute.
• Resources Section: You can select various activities, texts, bibliographies, etc. that correspond to your search. You can also narrow your search by grade level.

Search by Artist

• Click on "Search by Artist" located in the blue navigation bar. This search button is an alphabetical listing of all the artists in Art Explorer.
• You will see a list of artist names, each of which links to artworks and resources related to that artist. Click on any of the names to bring you to a "Search Results" page. The Search Results page will bring up artworks and resources related to that particular artist.
• Follow the directions for Artworks and Resources under the directions for Keyword Search.