In this article, you’ll learn how to reference artwork in the APA 7th, MLA, MHRA, and Chicago referencing systems. Check out this article to learn how to reference artwork in Harvard.
In APA 7th, there are two ways to reference and cite artwork.
Last name, Initial. (Year) Name of painting [Medium/Format]. Museum Name, Location. URL
For example:
Da Vinci, L. (1506). Mona Lisa [Painting]. The Louvre, Paris, France.
In-text citation: (Da Vinci, 1506)
If you viewed the artwork online, include the museum website address.
Flack, A. (1988). Islandia, goddess of the healing waters [Sculpture]. Harn Museum of Art, Gainesville, FL, United States. https://harn.emuseum.com/objects/354/islandia-goddess-of-the-healing-waters
In-text citation: (Flack, 1988)
Narrative citation: Flack (1988)
If the work is untitled, include a description in square brackets in place of the title. If there’s no date available, use n.d. in parentheses in place of the date.
Last name, Initial. (Year/Year Range). Art exhibition name [Exhibition]. Museum Name, Location. URL
Put the exhibition curator names in the author section and the year(s) of the exhibition in the date section of the reference.
Spinozzi, A., Lasser, E., & Young, J. (2022–2023). Hear me now: The Black potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina [Exhibition]. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, United States.
In-text citation: (Spinozzi et al., 2022–2023)
Narrative citation: Spinozzi et al. (2022–2023)
If the curator(s) name is not available/unknown, move the art exhibition title to the curator(s) name position.
Feminine power: The divine to the demonic [Exhibition]. (2022). The British Museum, London, United Kingdom. https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/feminine-power-divine-demonic
In-text citation: (Feminine power: The divine to the demonic, 2022)
Narrative citation: Feminine Power: The Divine to the Demonic (2022)
Artist’s last name, Artist’s first name. Titles of Artwork. Date, Museum/Institution Name, Location of Museum/Institution.
Da Vinci, Leonardo. Mona Lisa. 1506, Musée du Louvre, Paris.
In-text citation: (Da Vinci)
If you want to include the medium/materials of the artwork, you can add that at the end of the entry; however, this isn’t required by MLA. If the museum/institution name of where the artwork is housed includes the name of the location, then the location isn’t needed (e.g., Istanbul Modern).
In this case, use the name of the website as the container and include the website’s publisher and URL at the end of the citation. Don’t use the publisher information if it’s the same as the name of the website. And be sure to add a period after the artwork date because it’s considered optional information.
Goya, Francisco. The Family of Charles IV. 1800. Museo del Prado, museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-family-of-carlos-iv/f47898fc-aa1c-48f6-a779-71759e417e74.
In-text citation: (Goya)
In this case, use the book as a container. Remember that the title is listed before the contributors.
Da Vinci, Leonardo. Last Supper. 1498, Santa Maria della Grazie, Milan. Great Paintings of the Western World, by Gallup, Alison, et al., Barnes & Noble, 1998, p. 223.
In-text citation: (Da Vinci 223)
Narrative citation: Da Vinci (223)
In MHRA, references for works of art should include:
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● Name of the artist (if known)
● Title of the work in italics
● Date
● Medium type
● Dimensions of medium in cm (depending on the medium)
● Current physical location/source
Please keep in mind that MHRA uses both footnote and author-date systems. We’ll focus on citations for the author-date system.
Artist’s First and Last Name, Title of Artwork, Date, medium, dimension in cm, Museum/Institution Name, Location.
Henry Moore, Reclining Woman: Elbow, 1981, bronze, Leeds Art Gallery, Leeds.
In-text citation: (Moore 1981)
Narrative citation: Moore (1981)
Artist’s First and Last Name, Title of Artwork, Date, medium, from Title of Book (Publisher location: Publisher Name, Year), page number.
Ansel Adams, Monolith, The Face of Half Dome, photograph, from Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras (San Francisco: Grabhorn Press, 1927), p. 24.
In-text citation: (Adams 1927: 24)
Narrative citation: Adams (1927: 24)
Artist’s First and Last Name, Title of Artwork, Date, medium, dimension <URL> [access date].
Alphonse Mucha, Bières de la Meuse, 1897, color lithograph, 154.5 × 104.5 cm <http://www.muchafoundation.org/gallery/browse-works/object/46> [accessed 11 December 2014].
In-text citation: (Mucha 1897)
Narrative citation: Mucha (1897)
There are two styles of Chicago referencing: author-date and notes/bibliography. This guide will go over the notes/bibliography style.
Information on paintings, photographs, sculptures and other works of art can usually be presented in the text instead of in a note or bibliography. For works of art viewed online, add a URL at the end of the note/bibliography.
Footnote: Artist’s First and Last Name, Title of Artwork, Year, medium, dimension, location, Institution Name. URL if available.
Here are a few examples:
Bibliography: Artists’ Last Name, Artist’s First Name. Title of Artwork, Year. Medium, dimension. Location, Institution Name. URL if available.
For example (see Section 14.235 in CMOS 17):
Buonarroti, Michelangelo. The Slave, 1513–15. Marble, 2.09 m. Paris, The Louvre.
CMOS uses the term “illustrations” to refer to figures, artwork, or art in a book (see Section 3.1 in CMOS 17)
The abbreviation fig. is acceptable for figure, but table, map, plate and other illustration forms must be spelled out at the end of the note/bibliography. Page number(s) go before the illustration number with a comma separating them (see Section 14.158 in CMOS 17).
Footnote: Editor’s First and Last Name, eds., Title of Figure/Artwork/Table (Publisher Location: Publisher, Year), page number, table/fig./chart number.
1. Jean-Paul Chavas, David Hummels, and Brian D. Wright, eds., The Economics of Food Price Volatility (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2014), 167, table 4.4.
If you need help with referencing systems, we have an introductory guide to all referencing systems for you to use for free. And if you need additional help with your writing or making sure your citations and reference lists follow your specified guidelines, our experts will proofread your first 500 words for free!
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