Art Library

The Art Library (Kunstbibliothek) is one of the largest museum libraries dedicated to all facets of art history and cultural studies. Above and beyond this, however, it also boasts valuable collections on the history of architecture, photography, graphic design, fashion, book art, and media art. Its extremely diverse vast holdings include works in a wide variety of media: first editions and historical postcards, illustrated placards and posters, fashion designs, architectural drawings and models, bequests of photograph collections, and Fluxus assemblages. Together, the library and the various museum collections it contains represent the full spectrum of source material on the history of art.

The intermeshing of art and cultural studies lies at the heart of the library’s mission. Its research activities and exhibitions open new, interdisciplinary perspectives on important themes in art: the rise and evolution of international art styles and movements, the history of the art trade, and the shared origins of Occidental and non-European art.