How To Cite Paintings In Mla

Let's explore the intricacies of citing paintings in MLA format, ensuring accuracy and academic integrity in your research papers and projects. Understanding how to properly credit artists and their works is crucial for avoiding plagiarism and giving due recognition to their creative contributions.

Citing Paintings in MLA: A Comprehensive Guide

The Modern Language Association (MLA) style provides a standardized format for citing sources in academic writing, particularly in the humanities. When citing paintings, whether viewed in person, online, or within a publication, specific guidelines must be followed to ensure clarity and accuracy. This guide offers a comprehensive overview of how to cite paintings using MLA format, covering various scenarios and providing examples to illustrate the process.

Why Accurate Citation Matters

Before diving into the specifics, it's essential to understand why accurate citation is so important. Proper citation:

• Gives credit to the artist for their work, acknowledging their intellectual property.
• Enhances your credibility as a researcher by demonstrating thoroughness and attention to detail.
• Allows readers to locate the source material if they wish to learn more about the painting.
• Avoids plagiarism, which is a serious academic offense.

Core Elements of an MLA Citation for a Painting

Regardless of where you encounter the painting, the core elements of an MLA citation remain consistent. These elements, presented in a specific order, provide essential information about the artwork:

1. Artist's Name: Begin with the artist's last name, followed by a comma, and then their first name. If the artist is known by a pseudonym, use the name most commonly associated with their work.
2. Title of the Painting: Provide the full title of the painting, enclosed in italics. Capitalize the first letter of each main word in the title. If the title is very long, you can shorten it, but ensure it remains recognizable.
3. Date of Creation: Include the year the painting was created. If the exact year is unknown, use "n.d." (for "no date"). If you can approximate the date, use "c." (for "circa") followed by the approximate year.
4. Medium: Specify the materials used to create the painting, such as "oil on canvas," "watercolor on paper," or "acrylic on wood."
5. Institution and Location: Indicate the name of the museum, gallery, or private collection where the painting is housed. Follow this with the city where the institution is located. If the painting is in a private collection, state "Private collection."
6. Optional Information: Depending on the context, you may include additional information, such as the dimensions of the painting or any relevant details about its provenance.

Citing Paintings Viewed in Person

When you view a painting in person at a museum or gallery, your citation should include the core elements listed above. Here's a template:

Last Name, First Name. Title of Painting. Date of Creation, Medium, Institution, City.

Example:

Van Gogh, Vincent. The Starry Night. 1889, Oil on canvas, Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Citing Paintings Found Online

The internet offers access to a vast collection of paintings, often through museum websites, online art databases, or image repositories. When citing a painting found online, include the following elements:

1. Artist's Name: As with in-person viewings, begin with the artist's last name, followed by a comma, and then their first name.
2. Title of the Painting: Provide the full title of the painting, enclosed in italics.
3. Date of Creation: Include the year the painting was created. If the exact year is unknown, use "n.d." (for "no date"). If you can approximate the date, use "c." (for "circa") followed by the approximate year.
4. Institution or Website: Indicate the name of the museum, gallery, or website where the image is hosted.
5. URL: Provide the full URL of the webpage where the image is located.
6. Date of Access: Include the date you accessed the webpage. This is important because online content can change or disappear.

Here's a template:

Last Name, First Name. Title of Painting. Date of Creation, Institution or Website, URL, Date of Access.

Example:

Monet, Claude. Impression, soleil levant. 1872, Musée Marmottan Monet, , 15 Oct. 2023.

Citing Paintings Reproduced in a Book or Article

If you are citing a painting that you encountered in a book, journal article, or other publication, your citation should include information about the original artwork as well as the publication in which it was reproduced.

1. Artist's Name: Begin with the artist's last name, followed by a comma, and then their first name.
2. Title of the Painting: Provide the full title of the painting, enclosed in italics.
3. Date of Creation: Include the year the painting was created.
4. Source Information: This includes the author(s) or editor(s) of the book or article, the title of the publication (in italics for books, in quotation marks for articles), the publication date, and the page number(s) where the painting is reproduced.

Here's a template for citing a painting reproduced in a book:

Last Name, First Name. Title of Painting. Date of Creation. Title of Book, by Author's Name, Publisher, Year, p. [Page Number].

Example:

Kahlo, Frida. The Two Fridas. 1939. Frida Kahlo: The Paintings, by Hayden Herrera, HarperCollins, 1991, p. 242.

Here's a template for citing a painting reproduced in a journal article:

Last Name, First Name. Title of Painting. Date of Creation. "Title of Article," by Author's Name, Title of Journal, vol. [Volume Number], no. [Issue Number], Date of Publication, p. [Page Number].

Example:

Renoir, Pierre-Auguste. Bal du moulin de la Galette. 1876. "Impressionism and the Paris Salon," by Anne Distel, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, vol. 50, no. 1, Summer 1992, p. 35.

Citing Details or Sections of a Painting

Sometimes, your analysis may focus on a specific detail or section of a painting rather than the entire work. In such cases, you can indicate this in your citation by adding a descriptive term after the title of the painting.

Example:

Da Vinci, Leonardo. Mona Lisa. c. 1503-1517, Louvre Museum, Paris. Mona Lisa, detail of the eyes.

Handling Unknown Information

It's not always possible to find complete information about a painting. If certain details are unknown, use the following conventions:

• Unknown Date: Use "n.d." (for "no date").
• Approximate Date: Use "c." (for "circa") followed by the approximate year.
• Unknown Artist: If the artist is unknown, begin the citation with the title of the painting.

Example:

Portrait of a Man. n.d., Oil on panel, National Gallery, London.

In-Text Citations

In addition to the full citations in your Works Cited list, you must also include brief in-text citations within your paper to indicate the source of your information. For paintings, the in-text citation typically includes the artist's last name and, if necessary, a shortened version of the painting's title.

Examples:

• (Van Gogh)
• (Kahlo, Two Fridas)

If you are discussing multiple works by the same artist, include the title in your in-text citation to avoid ambiguity. If the artist's name is mentioned in the sentence, you only need to include the title in the citation.

Example:

As Kahlo demonstrates in The Two Fridas, her paintings often explored themes of identity and duality.

Special Cases and Considerations

• Multiple Artists: If a painting is the work of multiple artists, list all their names in the citation, separated by commas.
• Collaborative Works: For collaborative works, use the term "and others" after the first artist's name if the list is extensive.
• Digital Art: When citing digital art, include the software or platform used to create the work, if known.

Key Differences Between MLA 8 and MLA 9

While the core principles remain the same, there are subtle differences between MLA 8th edition and MLA 9th edition when citing visual art:

• Emphasis on Core Elements: MLA 9th edition places greater emphasis on the core elements (author, title, source) and encourages researchers to adapt the format to fit the specific source.
• Location Information: MLA 9th edition is more flexible with location information. You can include the city and state (or country) if it provides helpful context.
• Date of Access: While still recommended for online sources, the date of access is now considered optional unless the source is likely to change.

Examples of Complete Citations

To further illustrate the principles discussed above, here are some additional examples of complete MLA citations for paintings:

Painting Viewed in Person:

Botticelli, Sandro. The Birth of Venus. c. 1482-1485, Tempera on canvas, Uffizi Gallery, Florence.

Painting Found Online:

Vermeer, Johannes. Girl with a Pearl Earring. c. 1665, Mauritshuis, , 15 Oct. 2023.

Painting Reproduced in a Book:

Goya, Francisco. The Third of May 1808. 1814. Goya: A Life in Letters, by Sarah Symmons, Pimlico, 2004, p. 288.

Painting with Unknown Date:

Reynolds, Joshua. Portrait of a Lady. n.d., Oil on canvas, Tate Britain, London.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Missing Information: Ensure you include all the required elements in your citation.
• Incorrect Formatting: Pay attention to the correct use of italics, quotation marks, and capitalization.
• Inconsistent Citations: Maintain consistency in your citation style throughout your paper.
• Failure to Cite: Always cite your sources, even if you are paraphrasing or summarizing information.
• Using Outdated Information: Double-check the accuracy of your information, especially for online sources.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Q: Do I need to cite a painting if I only mention it briefly in my paper?
  • A: Yes, you should always cite any source that you use in your paper, even if you only mention it briefly.
• Q: What if the painting does not have an official title?
  • A: If the painting does not have an official title, you can create a descriptive title and enclose it in square brackets. For example: [Portrait of a Woman in a Red Dress].
• Q: How do I cite a painting that is part of a larger series or collection?
  • A: You should cite the individual painting, not the entire series or collection. However, you can mention the series or collection in your discussion of the painting.
• Q: Can I use a citation generator to create my MLA citations?
  • A: Citation generators can be helpful, but it is important to double-check the accuracy of the generated citations. Citation generators are not always accurate, and they may not follow the latest MLA guidelines.
• Q: What if the URL for an online image is very long?
  • A: You can use a URL shortening service to create a shorter URL for your citation. However, make sure the shortened URL is stable and reliable.

Conclusion

Citing paintings in MLA format requires attention to detail and a thorough understanding of the guidelines. By following the principles outlined in this guide, you can ensure that your citations are accurate, consistent, and compliant with MLA standards. Remember to always give credit to the artist and provide your readers with the information they need to locate the source material. Mastering the art of citation is an essential skill for any researcher or student in the humanities, enabling you to engage with artistic works in a responsible and academically sound manner.