How to Cite a Painting: A Comprehensive Guide Across Citation Styles
Citing sources is a crucial aspect of academic and professional writing. It acknowledges the original creators of ideas and artwork, prevents plagiarism, and adds credibility to your work. When your research involves analyzing or referencing a painting, it’s essential to cite it correctly according to the specific citation style required by your instructor or publication. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of citing a painting using the most common citation styles: MLA, APA, Chicago, and Turabian. We’ll cover different scenarios, provide detailed examples, and offer tips to ensure accuracy.
## Why is Citing a Painting Important?
Before diving into the specifics of citation styles, let’s understand why citing a painting is so important:
* **Giving Credit:** Proper citation acknowledges the artist’s creative work and intellectual property. It shows respect for their contribution and prevents you from taking credit for their creation.
* **Avoiding Plagiarism:** Using an image without proper attribution constitutes plagiarism, which is a serious academic offense. Citing the painting correctly avoids this ethical violation.
* **Enhancing Credibility:** Citing your sources demonstrates that you have conducted thorough research and are relying on credible information. This strengthens the validity of your arguments and enhances the overall quality of your work.
* **Providing Context:** Citations allow your readers to locate the original artwork and understand its context. This can provide valuable insights and enrich their understanding of your analysis.
* **Facilitating Further Research:** Clear citations allow other researchers to easily find the sources you used, which can contribute to further exploration and scholarship.
## General Information Needed for Citing a Painting
Regardless of the citation style you’re using, you’ll generally need the following information about the painting:
* **Artist’s Name:** The full name of the artist who created the painting.
* **Title of the Painting:** The official title of the artwork. If the painting is untitled, you’ll usually indicate this with the word “Untitled” (or a description if no formal title exists).
* **Date of Creation:** The year the painting was created. If the exact date is unknown, use “n.d.” (no date).
* **Medium:** The materials used to create the painting (e.g., oil on canvas, watercolor on paper, acrylic on wood).
* **Dimensions:** The height and width of the painting, usually measured in inches or centimeters. Dimensions are generally provided in the format height x width.
* **Location:** The current location of the painting, such as a museum, gallery, or private collection. Include the city and state (or country) if applicable.
* **Website/Database (if applicable):** If you accessed the image of the painting online, include the name of the website or database and the URL.
## Citing a Painting in MLA Style (9th Edition)
The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is commonly used in the humanities, particularly in literature, languages, and cultural studies. Here’s how to cite a painting in MLA 9th edition:
### Artwork Viewed in Person:
**Format:**
Artist’s Last Name, Artist’s First Name. *Title of Painting*. Date of Creation, Medium, Dimensions, Location, City.
**Example:**
Van Gogh, Vincent. *The Starry Night*. 1889, Oil on canvas, 73.7 cm x 92.1 cm, Museum of Modern Art, New York.
**Explanation:**
* **Van Gogh, Vincent:** The artist’s last name is followed by a comma and then the first name.
* ***The Starry Night***: The title of the painting is italicized.
* **1889:** The year the painting was created.
* **Oil on canvas:** The medium used to create the painting.
* **73.7 cm x 92.1 cm:** The dimensions of the painting.
* **Museum of Modern Art, New York:** The name of the museum and the city where the painting is located.
### Artwork Viewed Online:
**Format:**
Artist’s Last Name, Artist’s First Name. *Title of Painting*. Date of Creation, Medium, Dimensions, Location, City. *Website Name*, URL.
**Example:**
Monet, Claude. *Impression, soleil levant*. 1872, Oil on canvas, 48 cm × 63 cm, Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris. *Wikimedia Commons*, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Claude_Monet,_Impression,_soleil_levant.jpg.
**Explanation:**
* The format is the same as for artwork viewed in person, with the addition of the website name and URL.
* *Wikimedia Commons* is the name of the website where the image was found.
* commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Claude_Monet,_Impression,_soleil_levant.jpg is the URL of the specific image.
### In-Text Citation (MLA):
For in-text citations in MLA, use the artist’s last name and a page number (if available, such as from a book or article discussing the painting) or a location (if applicable).
**Examples:**
* (Van Gogh)
* (Monet)
* (Smith 25) – If citing a source *about* the painting, located on page 25.
## Citing a Painting in APA Style (7th Edition)
The American Psychological Association (APA) style is commonly used in social sciences, psychology, and education. Here’s how to cite a painting in APA 7th edition:
### Artwork Viewed in Person:
**Format:**
Artist, A. A. (Year). *Title of painting*. [Medium]. Location, City, State.
**Example:**
Van Gogh, V. (1889). *The Starry Night*. [Oil on canvas]. Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY.
**Explanation:**
* **Van Gogh, V.:** The artist’s last name is followed by a comma and the initials of the first name (and middle name, if applicable).
* **(1889):** The year of creation is enclosed in parentheses.
* ***The Starry Night***: The title of the painting is italicized.
* **[Oil on canvas]:** The medium is placed in square brackets.
* **Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY:** The location of the painting, including the city and state abbreviation.
### Artwork Viewed Online:
**Format:**
Artist, A. A. (Year). *Title of painting*. [Medium]. Retrieved from URL
**Example:**
Monet, C. (1872). *Impression, soleil levant*. [Oil on canvas]. Retrieved from commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Claude_Monet,_Impression,_soleil_levant.jpg
**Explanation:**
* The format is similar to artwork viewed in person, but instead of the location, you include “Retrieved from” followed by the URL.
### Image Reproduction in Your Paper:
If you reproduce the image of the painting within your paper, you’ll need to include a figure caption below the image.
**Format:**
*Figure X*. *Title of painting* by A. A. Artist, Year, *Medium*, Location.
**Example:**
*Figure 1*. *The Starry Night* by V. Van Gogh, 1889, *Oil on canvas*, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY.
**Explanation:**
* *Figure 1* indicates the figure number in your paper.
* All other elements are the same as in the full reference, but the artist’s name is formatted as initials followed by the last name.
### In-Text Citation (APA):
For in-text citations in APA, use the artist’s last name and the year of creation.
**Examples:**
* (Van Gogh, 1889)
* (Monet, 1872)
* (Smith, 2023) – If citing a source *about* the painting.
## Citing a Painting in Chicago Style (17th Edition)
The Chicago Manual of Style is a comprehensive style guide used in a variety of disciplines, including history, literature, and art history. Chicago style offers two main formats: notes and bibliography (used primarily in the humanities) and author-date (similar to APA). We’ll focus on the notes and bibliography style.
### Artwork Viewed in Person:
**Bibliography Entry:**
Artist’s Last Name, Artist’s First Name. *Title of Painting*. Year of Creation. Medium, Dimensions. Location, City.
**Example:**
Van Gogh, Vincent. *The Starry Night*. 1889. Oil on canvas, 73.7 cm x 92.1 cm. Museum of Modern Art, New York.
**Note Entry (Footnote or Endnote):**
Artist’s First Name Artist’s Last Name, *Title of Painting*, Year of Creation, Medium, Dimensions, Location, City.
**Example:**
Vincent Van Gogh, *The Starry Night*, 1889, Oil on canvas, 73.7 cm x 92.1 cm, Museum of Modern Art, New York.
**Explanation:**
* The bibliography entry is similar to MLA, but the order of elements and punctuation may differ slightly.
* The note entry is the first time you mention the artwork and usually contains all the information. Subsequent mentions can be shortened.
### Artwork Viewed Online:
**Bibliography Entry:**
Artist’s Last Name, Artist’s First Name. *Title of Painting*. Year of Creation. Medium, Dimensions. Location, City. URL.
**Example:**
Monet, Claude. *Impression, soleil levant*. 1872. Oil on canvas, 48 cm × 63 cm. Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Claude_Monet,_Impression,_soleil_levant.jpg.
**Note Entry (Footnote or Endnote):**
Artist’s First Name Artist’s Last Name, *Title of Painting*, Year of Creation, Medium, Dimensions, Location, City, URL.
**Example:**
Claude Monet, *Impression, soleil levant*, 1872, Oil on canvas, 48 cm × 63 cm, Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Claude_Monet,_Impression,_soleil_levant.jpg.
**Explanation:**
* The URL is added to both the bibliography and note entries.
### Shortened Note Form (Chicago):
After the first full note, you can use a shortened note form for subsequent citations.
**Format:**
Artist’s Last Name, *Title of Painting*.
**Example:**
Van Gogh, *The Starry Night*.
### In-Text Citation (Author-Date System in Chicago):
If you’re using the author-date system (more common in scientific fields), the in-text citation would look like this:
(Artist’s Last Name Year)
**Example:**
(Van Gogh 1889)
## Citing a Painting in Turabian Style (9th Edition)
Turabian style is very similar to Chicago style, as it is based on the Chicago Manual of Style. It’s primarily used by students for research papers, theses, and dissertations. The citation formats are almost identical to Chicago style’s notes and bibliography system.
### Artwork Viewed in Person:
**Bibliography Entry:**
Artist’s Last Name, Artist’s First Name. *Title of Painting*. Year of Creation. Medium, Dimensions. Location, City.
**Example:**
Van Gogh, Vincent. *The Starry Night*. 1889. Oil on canvas, 73.7 cm x 92.1 cm. Museum of Modern Art, New York.
**Note Entry (Footnote or Endnote):**
Artist’s First Name Artist’s Last Name, *Title of Painting*, Year of Creation, Medium, Dimensions, Location, City.
**Example:**
Vincent Van Gogh, *The Starry Night*, 1889, Oil on canvas, 73.7 cm x 92.1 cm, Museum of Modern Art, New York.
### Artwork Viewed Online:
**Bibliography Entry:**
Artist’s Last Name, Artist’s First Name. *Title of Painting*. Year of Creation. Medium, Dimensions. Location, City. URL.
**Example:**
Monet, Claude. *Impression, soleil levant*. 1872. Oil on canvas, 48 cm × 63 cm. Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Claude_Monet,_Impression,_soleil_levant.jpg.
**Note Entry (Footnote or Endnote):**
Artist’s First Name Artist’s Last Name, *Title of Painting*, Year of Creation, Medium, Dimensions, Location, City, URL.
**Example:**
Claude Monet, *Impression, soleil levant*, 1872, Oil on canvas, 48 cm × 63 cm, Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Claude_Monet,_Impression,_soleil_levant.jpg.
### Shortened Note Form (Turabian):
After the first full note, you can use a shortened note form for subsequent citations.
**Format:**
Artist’s Last Name, *Title of Painting*.
**Example:**
Van Gogh, *The Starry Night*.
### Differences Between Chicago and Turabian:
While Turabian is heavily based on Chicago, there are slight differences. Turabian is specifically designed for student papers and offers simpler guidelines, whereas Chicago is a more comprehensive style manual used for a wider range of publications.
## Citing a Painting with Missing Information
Sometimes, you might encounter a painting where some information is missing. Here’s how to handle common situations:
* **Unknown Artist:** If the artist is unknown, use “Anonymous” or “Unknown Artist” in place of the artist’s name.
* **Unknown Date:** If the exact date of creation is unknown, use “n.d.” (no date).
* **Untitled Painting:** If the painting is untitled, provide a brief descriptive title in square brackets (e.g., *[Abstract Landscape]*). If there’s absolutely no way to describe the painting, check with your instructor, as it’s unusual to use a source you can’t identify.
* **Unknown Dimensions:** If the dimensions are unknown, omit this element from the citation.
* **Unknown Location:** If the current location of the painting is unknown, omit this element from the citation.
## Examples of Citing Different Types of Paintings
Here are a few more examples to illustrate how to cite different types of paintings using various citation styles:
**Example 1: A Mural**
* **Painting:** *The Great Wall of Los Angeles* by Judith Baca
* **Date:** 1976-1984
* **Medium:** Acrylic on concrete
* **Location:** Tujunga Wash, Los Angeles, CA
**MLA Citation:**
Baca, Judith. *The Great Wall of Los Angeles*. 1976-1984, Acrylic on concrete, Tujunga Wash, Los Angeles.
**APA Citation:**
Baca, J. (1976-1984). *The Great Wall of Los Angeles*. [Acrylic on concrete]. Tujunga Wash, Los Angeles, CA.
**Chicago Citation (Bibliography):**
Baca, Judith. *The Great Wall of Los Angeles*. 1976-1984. Acrylic on concrete. Tujunga Wash, Los Angeles.
**Example 2: A Digital Painting**
* **Painting:** *Cosmic Dream* by Jane Doe
* **Date:** 2023
* **Medium:** Digital painting
* **Website:** ArtStation
* **URL:** artstation.com/artwork/example
**MLA Citation:**
Doe, Jane. *Cosmic Dream*. 2023, Digital painting. *ArtStation*, artstation.com/artwork/example.
**APA Citation:**
Doe, J. (2023). *Cosmic Dream*. [Digital painting]. Retrieved from artstation.com/artwork/example
**Chicago Citation (Bibliography):**
Doe, Jane. *Cosmic Dream*. 2023. Digital painting. ArtStation. artstation.com/artwork/example.
## Tips for Accurate Citation
* **Consult the Style Guide:** Always refer to the official style guide for the specific citation style you’re using (MLA Handbook, Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, The Chicago Manual of Style, Kate L. Turabian’s Manual for Writers). These guides provide the most accurate and up-to-date information.
* **Be Consistent:** Maintain consistency throughout your paper. Use the same citation style for all your sources.
* **Double-Check Your Citations:** Before submitting your work, carefully review all your citations to ensure accuracy.
* **Use Citation Management Tools:** Consider using citation management tools like Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote to help you organize your sources and generate citations automatically. However, always double-check the citations generated by these tools, as they may not always be perfect.
* **When in Doubt, Ask:** If you’re unsure about how to cite a particular type of source, ask your instructor or a librarian for assistance.
## Conclusion
Citing paintings correctly is an essential part of academic and professional writing. By following the guidelines outlined in this guide, you can ensure that you give proper credit to artists, avoid plagiarism, and enhance the credibility of your work. Remember to always consult the relevant style guide for specific instructions and be consistent in your citation practices. With careful attention to detail, you can confidently cite paintings in MLA, APA, Chicago, and Turabian styles.