LibGuides: Image Research Guide: Citing Images

Image Citation Guidelines

Typically, when citing an image for scholarly work using either MLA, Chicago, APA or Turabian, you need to include the details from the artwork and the source in the citation. When formatting image citations, find the style guide you need on the left and follow the guidelines below:

Artwork

Artist name
- If unknown, include 'unknown artist.'
Title of the work
- If unknown, describe the artwork.
Creation Date
Repository (museum or archive)
Location of repository or work (city, state, country)
Dimensions of the work
Materials or medium (such as oil on canvas, marble, found objects, etc.).

Source

Institution granting permission for use (often the owner or published source).
Author, title, publisher information, date, page, figure, or plate number of the reproduction if the image is from a book.
Electronic resource or website name, URL, and the date you retrieved the image.

Why Cite Images?

Images, artwork, or photographs need to have proper citations in presentations, research papers, and publications. As scholars we want to acknowledge and support intellectual accessibility, data, and all scholarly work. Often, you can find the best sources from reading through other articles, bibliographies and citations. The more you cite the more others will be able to reference your research for continued scholarship.