Collection

Terra Foundation Library for American Art

The Terra Foundation Library for American Art is a non-circulating research library in Paris, France, that is open to the public and free of charge. It is Europe’s only research library devoted exclusively to American art.

About the Library

The library specializes in American visual arts from the eighteenth century to the present and contains more than 12,000 books and catalogues on painting, sculpture, graphic arts, photography, and decorative arts. JSTOR and ProQuest (American Periodicals Series and International Bibliography of Art) are also available for on-site consultation.

A partnership with the Fondation Custodia, home to the Frits Lugt Collection and the first private art history library in France, provides access to a shared reading room and combined holdings of approximately 150,000 volumes of Western art history.

Hours and Contact

The library is located at 121 rue de Lille, Paris, France, and is open from Monday through Friday, 2–6 p.m.

For an appointment outside these hours, please email [email protected].

The library is closed on the following days in 2025:

Wednesday, January 1
Monday, April 21
Thursday, May 1–Friday, May 2
Thursday, May 8–Friday, May 9
Thursday, May 29–Friday, May 30
Monday, June 9
Monday, July 14
Friday, August 1–Friday, August 29
Monday, November 10–Tuesday, November 11
Monday, December 22–Thursday, January 2, 2026

Resources

Three people reading and sitting at a long white table. A book shelf filled with books runs the length of the wall behind them. — The Terra Foundation Library for American Art is a non-circulating research library located in Paris, France, and open to the public.

Library Catalogue

Browse

A selection of book stacked on a table. Some show only the book spines, and some show covers.