ICONOGRAPHICALRESEARCH COLLECTIONS are tools that support the iconographical approach to the history of art and offer access to secondary subject matter and photographic reproductions of artworks. In this article, the four major approaches to art historical scholarship are defined. One of those four approaches-iconography-is targeted in this discussion because it supports iconographical research collections. A matrix of subject access to visual resources collections displays the many possibilities for providing subject access to these collections. Generally, iconographical research collections describe secondary subject matter through subject headings or a classification scheme; these collections employ phrase indexing of subject headings or classification codes. Access to three different iconographical research collections through secondary subject matter is described and their respective positions in the matrix are pinpointed. Typical users of iconographical research collections are scholars in art history, theology, and medieval studies who are trained in the iconographical approach to the history of art. Thus access to iconographical research collections through secondary subject matter is in accordance with the training and knowledge of users of these collections.

Access to two different visual resources collections through primary subject matter is described. Users of these collections do not need special training in iconography because primary subject matter can be described by anyone with practical experience with everyday life. Subject access to these collections is contrasted with that offered by icono-