When you’re writing about art, how do you give credit? You cite an art piece by providing specific details about the artwork, the artist, and where you found it, following a particular citation style. This guide will help you master referencing artwork.
Referencing artwork correctly is crucial for academic integrity and for giving proper credit to artists. Whether you’re a student, researcher, or enthusiast, knowing how to cite visual art can feel daunting. This comprehensive art citation guide will demystify the process, covering everything from citing paintings and citing sculptures to citing photographs and other forms of visual media. We’ll explore different citation style for art and provide clear examples to ensure your artwork bibliography is accurate and complete. Learning how to credit artists is a fundamental skill in art history and related fields.
Why Proper Art Citation Matters
Giving credit where it’s due isn’t just about avoiding plagiarism. It’s about respecting the creator’s intellectual property and acknowledging their contribution to the world of art. Proper citation also allows your readers to locate the original artwork and verify your information, adding credibility to your work. In academic settings, it demonstrates your familiarity with scholarly conventions and your commitment to ethical research.
- Academic Integrity: Prevents plagiarism and upholds honesty in research.
- Respect for Artists: Honors the work and creative efforts of individuals.
- Source Verification: Enables readers to find and examine the original artwork.
- Credibility Building: Adds authority and trustworthiness to your writing.
- Knowledge Sharing: Contributes to the broader understanding and appreciation of art.
Common Citation Styles for Art
Different academic fields and institutions prefer different citation styles. While the core information remains similar, the order and punctuation can vary. The most common styles you’ll encounter in academic art referencing include:
- MLA (Modern Language Association): Frequently used in the humanities, including art history and literature.
- Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS): Often preferred in history and some art history programs. It offers two systems: notes-bibliography and author-date.
- APA (American Psychological Association): Primarily used in social sciences, but sometimes adapted for visual arts research.
This guide will focus on MLA and Chicago styles as they are most prevalent in art-related disciplines.
Essential Information for Citing Art
Regardless of the citation style, certain pieces of information are fundamental for correctly referencing an artwork.
Key Components of an Art Citation
- Artist’s Name: The full name of the creator.
- Title of the Artwork: The official title, usually italicized or underlined.
- Date of Creation: The year or period the artwork was made.
- Medium: The materials used (e.g., oil on canvas, bronze, digital photograph).
- Dimensions: The size of the artwork (height x width x depth), if available and relevant.
- Institution/Collection: Where the artwork is housed (e.g., The Metropolitan Museum of Art, private collection).
- City of Institution: The location of the museum or gallery.
- Accession Number: A unique identifying number assigned by the institution, if applicable.
- Source of Information: How you accessed the artwork (e.g., website URL, book title, exhibition catalog).
How to Cite Different Types of Art
Let’s break down how to cite various forms of visual art.
Citing Paintings and Drawings
When referencing citing paintings, the focus is on the artist, title, date, medium, and location.
MLA Style (Example):
Artist’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Artwork. Year of Creation. Medium. Museum/Collection Name, City of Institution.
Example:
Van Gogh, Vincent. The Starry Night. 1889. Oil on canvas. The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Chicago Style (Notes-Bibliography System):
- Artist’s First Name Last Name, Title of Artwork, Year of Creation, Medium, Collection Name, City of Institution.
- Artist’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Artwork.
Example:
- Vincent Van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889, oil on canvas, The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
- Van Gogh, Vincent. The Starry Night.
Chicago Style (Author-Date System):
Artist Last Name, First Name. Year of Creation. Title of Artwork. Medium. Collection Name, City of Institution.
Example:
Van Gogh, Vincent. 1889. The Starry Night. Oil on canvas. The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Citing Sculptures
Citing sculptures follows a similar pattern, emphasizing the artist, title, date, medium (including material and dimensions), and location.
MLA Style (Example):
Artist’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Sculpture. Year of Creation. Medium. Museum/Collection Name, City of Institution.
Example:
Rodin, Auguste. The Thinker. 1904. Bronze. Rodin Museum, Paris.
Chicago Style (Notes-Bibliography System):
- Artist’s First Name Last Name, Title of Sculpture, Year of Creation, Medium (including dimensions if relevant), Collection Name, City of Institution.
- Artist’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Sculpture.
Example:
- Auguste Rodin, The Thinker, 1904, bronze, Rodin Museum, Paris.
- Rodin, Auguste. The Thinker.
Chicago Style (Author-Date System):
Artist Last Name, First Name. Year of Creation. Title of Sculpture. Medium. Collection Name, City of Institution.
Example:
Rodin, Auguste. 1904. The Thinker. Bronze. Rodin Museum, Paris.
Citing Photographs
Citing photographs requires details about the photographer, title, date, medium, and where the photograph was published or displayed.
MLA Style (Example):
Photographer’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Photograph. Year of Creation. Medium (e.g., Gelatin silver print, Digital photograph). Collection Name, City of Institution. OR Name of Publication, Date of Publication, page numbers. OR Website Name, URL. Date of Access.
Example (in a museum):
Adams, Ansel. Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico. 1941. Gelatin silver print. The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Example (in a book):
Lange, Dorothea. “Migrant Mother.” 1936. Photograph. Documenting America, 1935-1943, edited by Carl Fleischhauer and Richard J. Birchler, Library of Congress, 1988, p. 45.
Example (online):
Arbus, Diane. Child with Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C. 1962. Gelatin silver print. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. SFMOMA, www.sfmoma.org/collection/102.1997. Accessed 15 Oct. 2023.
Chicago Style (Notes-Bibliography System):
- Photographer’s First Name Last Name, Title of Photograph, Year of Creation, Medium, Collection Name, City of Institution. OR Name of Publication, Date of Publication, page numbers. OR Website Name, URL (accessed Date).
- Photographer’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Photograph.
Example (in a museum):
- Ansel Adams, Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941, gelatin silver print, The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
- Adams, Ansel. Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico.
Example (online):
- Diane Arbus, Child with Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C., 1962, gelatin silver print, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, SFMOMA, www.sfmoma.org/collection/102.1997 (accessed October 15, 2023).
- Arbus, Diane. Child with Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C.
Chicago Style (Author-Date System):
Photographer Last Name, First Name. Year of Creation. Title of Photograph. Medium. Collection Name, City of Institution. OR Name of Publication, Date of Publication, page numbers. OR Website Name. URL (accessed Date).
Example (online):
Arbus, Diane. 1962. Child with Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C. Gelatin silver print. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. SFMOMA. www.sfmoma.org/collection/102.1997 (accessed October 15, 2023).
Citing Digital Art and Installations
Works created digitally or as installations may require specific details about software, hardware, or interactive elements.
MLA Style (Example):
Artist’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Work. Year of Creation. Medium/Process. Institution Name, City of Institution. OR Website Name, URL. Date of Access.
Example (Installation):
Kusama, Yayoi. Infinity Mirrored Room—Phalli’s Field. 1965. Mixed media installation. Installation view. The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Example (Digital):
Golan, Elia. Pixel Cloud. 2017. Interactive digital installation. Performance Space, New York.
Chicago Style (Notes-Bibliography System):
- Artist’s First Name Last Name, Title of Work, Year of Creation, Medium/Process, Institution Name, City of Institution. OR Website Name, URL (accessed Date).
- Artist’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Work.
Example (Installation):
- Yayoi Kusama, Infinity Mirrored Room—Phalli’s Field, 1965, mixed media installation, Installation view, The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
- Kusama, Yayoi. Infinity Mirrored Room—Phalli’s Field.
Citing Artwork Found in Books or Articles
When you find artwork reproduced in a book or article, you need to cite both the artwork and the source where you found it.
MLA Style (Example):
Artist’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Artwork. Year of Creation. Medium. Location. In Title of Book/Article, edited by Editor’s Name(s) (if applicable), Publisher, Year, pp. Page Numbers.
Example:
Monet, Claude. Impression, Sunrise. 1872. Oil on canvas. Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris. In Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: A Global History, 16th ed., edited by Fred S. Kleiner, Cengage Learning, 2016, p. 778.
Chicago Style (Notes-Bibliography System):
- Artist’s First Name Last Name, Title of Artwork, Year of Creation, Medium, Location. Reproduced in Author of Book/Article Last Name, First Name, Title of Book/Article (City: Publisher, Year), Page Number.
- Artist’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Artwork.
Example:
- Claude Monet, Impression, Sunrise, 1872, oil on canvas, Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris. Reproduced in Fred S. Kleiner, Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: A Global History (Boston: Cengage Learning, 2016), 778.
- Monet, Claude. Impression, Sunrise.
Chicago Style (Author-Date System):
Artist Last Name, First Name. Year of Creation. Title of Artwork. Medium. Location. In Title of Book/Article, edited by Editor’s Name(s), Page Number. City: Publisher.
Example:
Monet, Claude. 1872. Impression, Sunrise. Oil on canvas. Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris. In Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: A Global History, 778. Boston: Cengage Learning.
Citing Artwork from Websites
When citing art found online, it’s crucial to include the website name, URL, and access date.
MLA Style (Example):
Artist’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Artwork. Year of Creation. Medium. Website Name, URL. Date of Access.
Example:
O’Keeffe, Georgia. Jack-in-the-Pulpit No. IV. 1930. Oil on canvas. The Phillips Collection, www.phillipscollection.org/collection/georgia-okeeffe-jack-in-the-pulpit-no-iv. Accessed 15 Oct. 2023.
Chicago Style (Notes-Bibliography System):
- Artist’s First Name Last Name, Title of Artwork, Year of Creation, Medium, Website Name, URL (accessed Date).
- Artist’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Artwork.
Example:
- Georgia O’Keeffe, Jack-in-the-Pulpit No. IV, 1930, oil on canvas, The Phillips Collection, www.phillipscollection.org/collection/georgia-okeeffe-jack-in-the-pulpit-no-iv (accessed October 15, 2023).
- O’Keeffe, Georgia. Jack-in-the-Pulpit No. IV.
Chicago Style (Author-Date System):
Artist Last Name, First Name. Year of Creation. Title of Artwork. Medium. Website Name. URL (accessed Date).
Example:
O’Keeffe, Georgia. 1930. Jack-in-the-Pulpit No. IV. Oil on canvas. The Phillips Collection. www.phillipscollection.org/collection/georgia-okeeffe-jack-in-the-pulpit-no-iv (accessed October 15, 2023).
How to Credit Artists: Specific Considerations
How to credit artists properly often involves understanding the nuances of different artworks and presentation formats.
Artist’s Name Variations
- Full Name: Always aim to use the artist’s full name as it is commonly known or as they signed their work.
- Pseudonyms/Aliases: If an artist is known by a pseudonym, use that name. For example, Banksy.
- Anonymous Works: If the artist is unknown, you may use “Anonymous” or start the citation with the title of the artwork.
Title Formatting
- Italicization: In MLA and Chicago styles, artwork titles are typically italicized.
- Capitalization: Follow standard capitalization rules for titles.
Dates
- Specific Year: Use the year of completion if known.
- Date Range: If the artwork was created over a period, use a date range (e.g., 1935-1936).
- Circa: If the date is approximate, use “ca.” or “circa” before the date (e.g., ca. 1503-1506).
Medium Specifics
- Paintings: Oil on canvas, watercolor on paper, acrylic on board.
- Sculptures: Bronze, marble, wood, mixed media.
- Photographs: Gelatin silver print, digital photograph, pigment print.
- Prints: Etching, lithograph, woodcut.
Location and Accession Numbers
- Museums/Galleries: Include the institution’s name and city.
- Accession Number: This is a unique identifier for artworks within a collection. It’s often included for precision, especially in art history research.
Building Your Artwork Bibliography
Your artwork bibliography is a list of all the sources you have cited in your work, presented in alphabetical order by the author’s last name (or title if no author).
General Guidelines for a Bibliography/Works Cited Page
- Alphabetical Order: List entries alphabetically by the artist’s last name or by the title if the artist is unknown.
- Hanging Indent: The first line of each entry is flush left, and subsequent lines are indented.
- Consistency: Maintain a consistent style throughout your list.
Example of an Artwork Bibliography (MLA Style)
Works Cited
Adams, Ansel. Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico. 1941. Gelatin silver print. The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Arbus, Diane. Child with Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C. 1962. Gelatin silver print. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. SFMOMA, www.sfmoma.org/collection/102.1997. Accessed 15 Oct. 2023.
Kusama, Yayoi. Infinity Mirrored Room—Phalli’s Field. 1965. Mixed media installation. Installation view. The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Lange, Dorothea. “Migrant Mother.” 1936. Photograph. Documenting America, 1935-1943, edited by Carl Fleischhauer and Richard J. Birchler, Library of Congress, 1988, p. 45.
Monet, Claude. Impression, Sunrise. 1872. Oil on canvas. Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris. In Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: A Global History, 16th ed., edited by Fred S. Kleiner, Cengage Learning, 2016, p. 778.
O’Keeffe, Georgia. Jack-in-the-Pulpit No. IV. 1930. Oil on canvas. The Phillips Collection, www.phillipscollection.org/collection/georgia-okeeffe-jack-in-the-pulpit-no-iv. Accessed 15 Oct. 2023.
Rodin, Auguste. The Thinker. 1904. Bronze. Rodin Museum, Paris.
Van Gogh, Vincent. The Starry Night. 1889. Oil on canvas. The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Advanced Tips for Referencing Artwork
When delving deeper into academic art referencing, some specific situations arise.
Referencing Artwork in Exhibitions
When citing artwork viewed in a physical exhibition, the citation might include the exhibition title and dates.
MLA Style (Example):
Artist’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Artwork. Year of Creation. Medium. Exhibition Title, Gallery Name, City of Exhibition, Exhibition Dates.
Example:
Picasso, Pablo. Guernica. 1937. Oil on canvas. Picasso: Masterpieces from the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, 18 Mar. – 5 Aug. 2013.
Referencing Art Not Clearly Attributed
If an artwork is from a specific period but the artist isn’t known, you can start with the title.
MLA Style (Example):
Title of Artwork. Year of Creation. Medium. Institution Name, City of Institution.
Example:
Venus of Willendorf. ca. 28,000–25,000 BCE. Limestone. Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna.
Citing Art Reproductions from Video or Film
If you encounter artwork in a documentary or film, you need to cite the film and the specific artwork within it.
MLA Style (Example):
Title of Artwork. Artist’s First Name Last Name. Year of Creation. Medium. Title of Film, Directors, Studio/Distributor, Year of Film, Timestamp.
Example:
The Persistence of Memory. Salvador Dalí. 1931. Oil on canvas. Dreams That Money Can Buy, directed by Hans Richter, 1947.
Frequently Asked Questions About Art Citation
Q1: What if I can’t find the exact date of creation for an artwork?
A1: If the exact date is unknown, use the closest approximation. For MLA, you might use “ca.” (circa) before the date (e.g., ca. 1850). In Chicago, you can also use “ca.” or provide a period (e.g., 19th century). If the artwork is anonymous, you may start the citation with the title.
Q2: Can I cite artwork I saw on social media?
A2: Yes, but be cautious about the source. Prioritize official museum or gallery accounts. When citing social media, include the platform name, username, the artwork’s title and artist (if identified), the URL, and the date accessed. For example, in MLA: Artist’s Name. “Title of Artwork.” Platform Name, Day Month Year posted, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
Q3: What if the artwork is in a private collection and not publicly accessible?
A3: If you are referencing it based on a published source (book, article, website), cite that source. If you have direct knowledge (e.g., you’ve seen it in a private viewing, which is rare in academic work), you would typically note this in your text or a footnote, providing as much detail as possible about the artwork and its owner (if permission is granted and relevant).
Q4: How do I format citations for exhibitions that are no longer running?
A4: For MLA, if the exhibition is past, you can omit the exhibition dates. However, if the exhibition catalogue is available, cite that as a source. For Chicago, if the exhibition is no longer current, you would still include the exhibition details if they are crucial to your source of information, often referencing it as a past event.
Q5: Is there a specific citation style just for art?
A5: While there isn’t one single “art citation style” that all art historians universally adopt, MLA and Chicago Manual of Style are the most commonly used and have specific guidelines for art and visual culture. Many institutions or journals may also have their own adapted versions or preferences. Always check the required style guide for your specific assignment or publication.
Mastering the art of referencing artwork enhances the professionalism and accuracy of your work. By carefully gathering the necessary details and adhering to the conventions of your chosen citation style for art, you can effectively showcase your research and acknowledge the creators whose work you are discussing. This detailed art citation guide should provide a solid foundation for citing visual art in any context.