
Citing a painting requires more information than a standard text source. The three most common citation styles are Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), and Chicago style. To cite a painting in MLA style, the basic information required includes the artist's last name followed by their first name, the title of the artwork in italics, the year of creation, the name of the museum or gallery, and the city where it is located. For example, Goya, Francisco. The Family of Charles IV. 1800, Museo del Prado, Madrid. In APA style, the format is similar, with the artist's last name and initials followed by the date, title of the work, medium, location, and city. For example, de Goya, F. (1820-1823). Saturn Devouring One of His Sons. [mural painting transferred to canvas]. Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain. When citing a painting in Chicago style, the format is the same as MLA but without an access date unless there is no listed publication date.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist's Name | Surname, First Name or Last Name, First Initial |
| Title of Painting | In Italics |
| Year of Creation | |
| Name of Museum or Gallery | |
| City of Museum or Gallery | |
| URL |
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What You'll Learn

Artist's name format
The artist's name is a crucial component of any citation for a painting. The artist's name should be formatted with their surname first, followed by a comma and then their first name. For example, in MLA style, the citation for Henri Matisse's painting "Femme au chapeau" would be:
Matisse, Henri. Femme au chapeau. 1905, Museum of Modern Art, New York City.
Similarly, in APA and Chicago styles, the artist's last name is followed by their first name or initial. For instance, the APA citation for Emmanuel Leutze's "Washington Crossing the Delaware" could be structured as:
Leutze, E. (1851). Washington Crossing the Delaware [Painting]. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.
In cases where the artist's name is unknown or uncredited, "Anonymous" can be used in place of the artist's name. Alternatively, if the artist is credited as "Anonymous," this should be respected and included in the citation.
It is important to maintain consistency in the artist's name format throughout the citation and to ensure that the spelling and capitalisation of their name are accurate.
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Title format
The title of the painting is a crucial element in the citation and should be formatted as follows:
The title of the painting should be italicised. For example, *The Family of Charles IV* or *Virgin and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist and Angels*. If the work has a subtitle, this should also be included, for example, *Femme au chapeau (Woman with a Hat)*.
If you are citing a reproduction of an artwork, the title of the original painting should be included, along with the date it was created. For example, "The Last Supper, 1498".
When citing a painting, it is important to include the artist's name, the title of the work, and the date of creation as a minimum. The specific format and additional information required will depend on the citation style you are using, such as MLA, APA, or Chicago style.
For MLA style, the basic format is:
> Artist's Last Name, Artist's First Name. Title of Artwork OR description. Year of creation, Museum, City.
For example:
> Leutze, Emmanuel. Washington Crossing the Delaware. 1851, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.
For APA style, the basic format is:
> Artist's Last Name, First Initial. (Date). Title of Work. [Medium]. Location of Artwork, City, State/Country.
For example:
> de Goya, F. (1820-1823). Saturn Devouring One of His Sons. [mural painting transferred to canvas]. Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain.
For Chicago style, the basic format is similar to MLA, with the addition of the URL and access date at the end of the citation:
> Artist's Last Name, Artist's First Name. Title of Artwork OR description. Year of creation, Museum, City. URL. Accessed access date.
For example:
> Leutze, Emmanuel. Washington Crossing the Delaware. 1851, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/11417. Accessed July 14, 2018.
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Location and date
When citing an original painting by a gallery, it is important to include the location and date of the artwork. Here are some detailed guidelines on how to structure your citation:
Firstly, begin by stating the artist's surname, followed by a comma and their first name. For example: "Goya, Francisco". It is standard to list the artist's name in this format for the first occurrence. In subsequent citations, simply use the surname.
Next, write the title of the painting in italics. For instance: "The Family of Charles IV". If there is no official title, provide a brief description of the artwork.
After the title, include the year of creation, followed by a comma. For example: "1800,"
Now, list the name of the museum or gallery where the painting is located. If the location is not evident in the name of the museum or gallery, add the city after a comma. For instance: "Museo del Prado, Madrid".
> Goya, Francisco. *The Family of Charles IV*. 1800, Museo del Prado, Madrid.
If you are citing a painting that you have seen in person, the format remains largely the same. Simply replace the name of the website with the name of the gallery or museum, followed by a comma and the city where it is located.
Additionally, when citing a painting, you may need to include other details such as the dimensions, medium, or URL, depending on the specific citation style you are using.
Remember to format your citation according to the required style guide, such as MLA, APA, or Chicago style, as this will influence the order and structure of the elements.
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URL and access date
When citing a painting in MLA style, the URL and access date are placed at the end of the citation. The URL should include the https://www prefix and be followed by a period.
If you viewed the painting in person at a gallery, the format for the citation would be as follows:
> Artist’s Last Name, Artist’s First Name. "Title of Artwork." Year of creation, Museum, City.
To cite the URL and access date for this scenario, replace the name of the website with the name of the gallery/museum, followed by a comma and the city where the museum is located. For example:
> Leutze, Emmanuel. "Washington Crossing the Delaware." 1851, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.
If you viewed the painting online, the format for the citation would be slightly different. After the city and state/country information of the museum, include the name of the website, followed by the URL and access date. For example:
> Leutze, Emmanuel. "Washington Crossing the Delaware." 1851, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/11417. Accessed Month Day, Year.
Note that the Chicago style of citation does not require an access date unless there is no listed publication date for the source. In that case, the access date should be formatted as "Accessed Month Day, Year."
For APA-style citations, the basic format includes the name of the artist, title of the painting, museum name, place, and URL. The first name and middle name, following the author’s surname, should be abbreviated and separated by a space. For example:
> Thomas, A. H. (1921). Formes et couleurs: vingt planches en couleurs contenant soixante-sept motifs decoratifs [Painting]. The Met Museum, New York, NY, United States. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/591870?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&high=on&ft=Art+Deco&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=3
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In-text citations
Citing a painting in the body of your text requires a bit more information than citing a book. The specific format for your citation varies depending on the citation style you use. Three of the most common citation styles are Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), and Chicago style.
MLA Style
When citing a painting in the body of your text using MLA style, you should include the artist's name and the title of the work in italics. For example: "One of Francisco Goya's subjects in *The Family of Charles IV* has her head turned away." Note that MLA style does not require parenthetical in-text citations for paintings. If the painting is untitled, use a brief description of the painting along with the artist's name. For example: "Francisco Goya's many untitled portraits of the Duchess of Alba suggest she was his muse."
Additionally, when referencing a reproduction of a painting from a website, your in-text citation should include the artist's last name, the title of the work, and the date of the work's creation, followed by the author and title of the webpage, and the URL. For example:
> Goya, Francisco. *The Family of Charles IV*. 1800. "Title of Webpage," by Author's Last Name, First Name. Title of Website, Publisher or Sponsoring Organization, Date of publication or last modified date, URL.
APA Style
To cite a painting in APA style, your in-text citation should include the artist's surname, the year of publication (the year of the painting's creation), the title of the painting in italics, and the name and location of the museum or gallery. For example:
> Gogh, V. (1889). *The Starry Night*. The Museum of Modern Art, New York City.
Chicago Style
Chicago style considers the artist (or painter) the "author" of the painting. To cite a painting in Chicago style, begin with the artist's last name, followed by a comma, their first name, and a period. For example:
> Gogh, Vincent.
If you viewed the painting in print, your citation should include the word "In," followed by the information you would normally include for a Chicago-style book or periodical entry where the painting was reproduced. For example:
> In Bailey, Martin. *Starry Night: Van Gogh at the Asylum*. London, UK: White Lion Publishing, 2018.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need the artist's full name, the title of the artwork, the year it was created, and the name and city of the museum or gallery where it is located. The format is as follows:
Artist Surname, First Name. Title of Artwork. Year of creation, Museum, City.
The citation format is similar to MLA style, but the artist's name is written in standard order, and the title of the artwork is in italics. The format is as follows:
Artist First Name, Artist Surname. *Title of Artwork*. Year of creation, Museum, City.
The artist's name is formatted the same way as in APA style, but the title of the artwork is not in italics. The format is as follows:
Artist First Name, Artist Surname. Title of Artwork. Year of creation, Museum, City.

























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