Foreign Languages Subject Guide
Biographical Sources
9 resources available
- Restricted to WMU users 
- Open Access
Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie
The standard biographical reference work for German nationals, containing long articles, with bibliographies, on persons from earliest times through the 19th century. (German) 1875-1912.
CT 1053 .A5 1967 (Ref)
Allgemeines Kunstler-Lexikon
(German) 1983-1994. N 40 .A63 1992 (Ref) Includes articles on painters, graphic artists, sculptors, architects, and decorative artists of all nationalities (excludes photographers). Provides biographical data, locations of artists' works, references to writings by the artist, listings of exhibitions, and bibliographies.
Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Kunstler des XX Jahrhunderts
1953-1962.
N 40 .V6 (Ref)
A continuation of the previous set, focusing on the 20th century but with some overlap for artists in the 19th century.
Allgemeines Lexikon der bildeneden Kunstler
(German) 1907-1950.
N 40 .T4 (Ref)
The most complete dictionary of artists in any language. Includes painters, sculptors, engravers, etchers, and architects. Often gives locations of art. Includes some artists living at the time the work was compiled.
Biographie Universelle Ancienne et Moderne
T 143 .M5 (Ref) 1854-1966.
The most important of the large dictionaries of universal biography (containing information about people from all over the world.)
Dictionnaire Critique et Documentaire Des Peintures, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs
et Graveurs de Tous les Temps et de tous les Pays.
N 40 .B47 1999
A comprehensive work covering artists world-wide from the 5th century to the mid 20th, including both Western and Eastern art. Entries usually give chief works, museums displaying these works, symbols and signatures, and brief bibliographies.
Dizionario Biografico Degli Italiani
CT 1123 .D5 (Ref)
A multi-volume work in Italian of significant Italians from the 5th century to the present, excluding living persons. The 65 current volumes cover names up to and including L. (1960-2005)
Neue Deutsche Biographie
(German) 1953-1990
DD 85 .N4x (Ref)
A work supplementing, to some extent, Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, including some of the same names as well as many others. Indexes in each volume.
Z 1224 .C6 (Ref)
Part of the Literature Resource Center, this directory provides brief biographical information about more than 120,000 authors from the US and elsewhere. Includes writers of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, journalism, and many other fields.