Art: Citing Art APA Style
In-text Citations
How do I refer to an artwork in the text of my paper?
Give the artist's name and italicize the title of the work. Give the year in parenthesis.
Blackwood's Leaving for the Labrador (2011)
Barry's Passing Parade (1994)
More Help with APA
APA Style 7th edition: How to Cite Art in your Reference List
If artist is unknown, begin with the title. If the date of creation is unknown, use (n.d.) for "no date."
Original Drawing / Painting / Sculpture / Photo / Etc.
Artist. (Year). Title [Description of medium]. Institution,
Museum, or Collection, City, abbreviated
Province/State, Country.
Pratt, C. (1965). Young girl with seashells [Oil on
masonite]. Memorial University of
Newfoundland Collection, Corner Brook,
NL, Canada.
For untitled artworks, provide a description in square brackets:
Westwood, V. (1993). [Lime green, faux crocodile
platform shoes]. Bata Shoe Museum,
Toronto, ON, Canada.
Image in a Library Database (e.g. Artstor)
Do not include URLs or database names for articles accessed through the library.
Artist. (Year). Title [Description of medium]. Institution,
Museum, or Collection, City, abbreviated
Province/State, Country.
Landing of atlantic cable in Newfoundland, 1866
[Transparency, collodion on glass]. (1900).
George Eastman House, Rochester, NY,
United States.
Image on a Museum Website
Artist. (Year). Title [Description]. Institution, Museum,
or Collection, City, abbreviated Province/
State, Country. URL
West, B. (1770). The death of General Wolfe
[Oil on canvas]. Royal Ontario Museum,
Toronto, ON, Canada. https://www.rom.on.
ca/en/exhibitions-galleries/galleries/art-
culture/sigmund-samuel-gallery-of-canada
Image on a Website
Use this format to cite images not connected to a museum (APA Manual p. 347).
Artist. (Year). Title of artwork {Description of
medium]. Name of Website. URL
Saila, P. (1999). Dancing bear [Bronze sculpture].
Government of Canada. https://www.canada.
ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/art-
monuments/public-art/dancing-bear.html
Reproduction in a Print Book
If the book's publication date and the date of the artwork differ, include both dates in your in-text citation: (Jacque, 2009/2010)
Artist. (Year of book's publication). Title of
artwork [Description]. Institution, Museum,
or Collection, City, abbreviated Province/
State, Country. In Author/Editor's name,
Book title (p. #). Publisher/s. (Original work
xxxx).
Jacque, H. (2010). Labrador black duck [Clay tile].
Lawrence O'Brien Auditorium, Goose Bay, NL,
Canada. In D. Brown, Uncommon clay: The
labradoria mural (p. 18). Creative Publishing.
(Original work 2009).
Reproduction in an eBook
Include the DOI or "Digital Object Identifier", if it has one, at the end of the entry. Do not include URLs or database names for articles accessed through the library. For Internet eBooks, include a URL at the end of the entry. If the book's publication date and the date of the artwork differ, include both dates in your in-text citation: (Hooper, 1876-1877/2014)
Hooper, W. W. (2014). Famine victims [Photograph].
In H. Fehrenback and D. Rodogno (Eds.),
Humanitarian photography: A history (p. 41).
Cambridge University Press. (Original work
1876-1877). https://doi.org/10.1017/
Reproduction in a Print Journal
If the article's publication date and the date of the artwork differ, include both dates in your in-text citation: (Carr, 1935/2006)
Artist. (Year of article publication). Title of artwork
[Description]. Institution, Museum, or
Collection, City, abbreviated Province/
State, Country. In Author, Title of
article, Title of Journal, volume #(issue #),
page #. (Original work xxxx).
Carr, E. (2006). Scorned as timber, beloved of the
sky [Oil on canvas]. Vancouver Art Gallery,
Emily Carr Trust, Vancouver, BC, Canada. In
S. R. Udall, Georgia O'Keeffe and Emily Carr:
Health, nature and the creative process.
Women's Art Journal, 27(1), 23. (Original
work 1935).
Reproduction in an Online Journal
Include the DOI or "Digital Object Identifier", if it has one, at the end of the entry. Do not include URLs or database names for articles accessed through the library. For Internet articles, include a URL at the end of the entry. If the article's publication date and the date of the artwork differ, include both dates in your in-text citation: (Houdon, 1771/2014)
Artist. (Year of article publication). Title of artwork
[Description]. Institution, Museum, or
Collection, City, abbreviated Province/
State, Country. In Author, Title of
article, Title of Journal, volume #(issue #),
page #. (Original work xxxx). DOI or URL
Houdon, J. A. (2014 June). Denis Diderot [Terracotta
bust]. The Louvre, Paris, France. In R. Milano,
Communicating with the self in the French
enlightenment: Intellectualism, naturalism and
embodiment in the bare-chested portrait bust,
Studies in Visual Arts and Communication,
1(1), 4. (Original work 1771). https://journalonarts.
Books
- Publication Manual of the American Psychological AssociationCall Number: Reference & Reserve BF 76.7 P83 2020ISBN: 9781433832161
- Concise Guide to APA Style (7th ed.)Call Number: Reference & Reserve BF76.7 C66 2020ISBN: 9781433832734Publication Date: 2020The official APA Style resource for students. This easy-to-use pocket guide is designed specifically for undergraduate writing.