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Chicago Citation Guide (17th Edition): Images, Artwork, & Maps

Images, Artwork, and Maps

General Guidelines

Artwork is a general term used to describe visual art that is in a physical form. This includes paintings, sculptures, architecture, mosaics, ceramics, and more.

When citing artwork, citations must include the following information:

  • name of the artist
  • title of the artwork
  • year it was created (preceeded by "ca." [circa] if this date is approximate)
  • where it is located.

If you have other relevant information about the artwork such as size or medium, include that as well. 

Captions

If you insert an image into your paper, put the citation information in a caption under the image instead of in a footnote. If you just refer to the image, put the citation information in a footnote. 

There is no set format for captions. Below is a recommended approach to creating captions.

How to create a caption:

  • Place the caption directly below your image
  • Start the caption with a figure number (e.g. Figure 1.)
  • If appropriate, begin the caption with a brief description of the figure. This is usually when the item does not have a formal title, or if you would like to provide further explanation of the content of the figure.
  • Write a citation for the image using the same format you would in a footnote
  • Single space the caption, no indent
  • Leave at least one blank line between your caption and the text below it

See this help sheet from the Chicago Manual of Style Website to see an example of an image placed in a paper.

Footnote:

  1. Creator's First Name Last Name, Title of Artwork, Date of Creation, Other relevant information such as size or medium [if known], Location of Artwork, in Title of Book: Subtitle if Any, Edition if given and is not first edition, by Textbook Author's First Name Last Name (Place of publication: Publisher, Year), Page Number.

Bibliography Entry:

Creator's Last Name, First Name. Title of Artwork, Date of Creation, Other relevant information such as size or medium [if relevant], Location of Artwork. In Title of Book: Subtitle if Any. Edition if given and is not first edition, by Textbook Author's First Name Last Name, Page Range of Chapter or Part. Place of publication: Publisher, Year.

 If the book has an editor instead of an author, use the editor's name and replace "by" with "edited by".

Footnote Example

1. Leonardo Da Vinci, Last Supper, 1498, Santa Maria della Grazie, Milan, in Great Paintings of the Western World, by Alison Gallup, Gerhard Gruitrooy, and Elizabeth M. Weisberg (New York: Barnes & Noble, 1998), 223. 
Shortened Footnote Example

2. Da Vinci, Last Supper, 223.
Bibliography Entry Example

Da Vinci, Leonardo. Last Supper, 1498, Santa Maria della Grazie, Milan. In Great Paintings of the Western World, by Alison Gallup, Gerhard Gruitrooy, and Elizabeth M. Weisberg, 223. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1998.

Footnote:

1. Creator's First Name Last Name, Title of Image, Date of Creation, Other relevant information such as size or medium [if known], Name of Specialized Database or Online Image Library, accessed Access Date, URL.

Bibliography Entry:

Creator'sLast Name, First Name. Title of Image,  Date of Creation, Other relevant information such as size or medium [if known], Name of Specialized Database or Online Image Library. Accessed Access Date. URL.

Footnote Example

1. Elizabeth Montizambert, Marjorie Howard Futcher Standing with Dog, 1900, black and white photograph, 9.4 x 11.6 cm, The Marjorie Howard Futcher Photo Collection, McGill University, accessed May 21, 2021,  https://digital.library.mcgill.ca/futcher/large/FUT1_002-001_P.jpg.
Shortened Footnote Example

2. Montizambert, Marjorie Howard Futcher.
Bibliography Entry Example

Montizambert, Elizabeth. Marjorie Howard Futcher Standing with Dog, 1900, black and white photograph, 9.4 x 11.6 cm, The Marjorie Howard Futcher Photo Collection, McGill University. Accessed May 21, 2021.  https://digital.library.mcgill.ca/futcher/large/FUT1_002-001_P.jpg.

Footnote:

1. Creator's First Name Last Name, Title of Artwork, Date of Creation, Other relevant information such as size or medium [if known], Name of Museum or Gallery Where Artwork is Located, accessed Access Date, URL.

Bibliography Entry:

Creator's Last Name, First Name. Title of Artwork, Date of Creation, Other relevant information such as size or medium [if known], Name of Museum or Gallery Where Artwork is Located. Accessed Access Date. URL.

Footnote Example

1. Filippo Lippi, Portrait of a Woman with a Man at a Casement, ca. 1440, tempera on wood, 64.1 x 41.9 cm, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accessed May 21, 2021, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436896?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Fra+Filippo+Lippi&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=1.
Shortened Footnote Example

2. Lippi, Portrait of Woman.
Bibliography Entry Example

Filippo Lippi, Portrait of a Woman with a Man at a Casement, ca. 1440, tempera on wood, 64.1 x 41.9 cm, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Accessed May 21, 2021. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436896?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Fra+Filippo+Lippi&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=1.

Footnote:

1. Creator's First Name Last Name, Title of Artwork, Date of Creation, Other relevant information such as size or medium [if known], Location of Artwork, accessed Access Date, URL.

Bibliography Entry:

Creator's Last Name, First Name. Title of Artwork, Date of Creation, Other relevant information such as size or medium [if known], Location of Artwork. Accessed Access Date. URL.

Footnote Example

1. Leonardo Da Vinci, Last Supper, 1498, Santa Maria della Grazie, Milan, accessed May 15, 2021, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/early-europe-and-colonial-americas/renaissance-art-europe-ap/a/leonardo-last-supper.
Shortened Footnote Example

2. Da Vinci, Last Supper. 
Bibliography Entry Example

Da Vinci, Leonardo. Last Supper, 1498, Santa Maria della Grazie, Milan. Accessed May 15, 2021. www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/early-europe-and-colonial-americas/renaissance-art-europe-ap/a/leonardo-last-supper.

Citing a map? Check out the awesome Citing Maps guide from North Carolina State University Libraries for detailed map citation guidelines.