Resources for Writing about Art
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Art Since 1940: Strategies of Being
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Call Number: N6512.5.M63 F56 2000ISBN: 9780130858436Publication Date: 2000 -
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A short guide to writing about art
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Call Number: N7476.B37 2015ISBN: 9780205886999Publication Date: 2015 -
Theories of contemporary art byCall Number: N6490.T494 1985ISBN: 9780139136665Publication Date: 1985
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Citation Handbooks
Comprehensive Chicago Manual of Style citation support from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab
Information and answers for unusual formats and citation questions
Introduction to Citations
Citations provide the reader with information to find the source of the author's facts or ideas. A citation includes, at the very least, the title, author, source of publication, and date of publication. Citation styles, such as MLA, APA, and Chicago/Turabian, are sets of rules that determine how citations are formatted. Different disciplines favor certain styles, so check with your professor if you are unsure which format to use for your coursework. The preferred style guide for art historical writing is the Chicago Manual of Style. Remember to cite images used in presentations or papers using Chicago Style.
How to Cite Images
General Guidelines*
1. Include the artist’s name, the title of the work (italicized), medium, applicable measurements, and the institution managing the work (i.e. museum, gallery, collector).
2. Include the source of the image. Example: “In ____,” or “Source,” or “Available from.”
3. Include the URL and date accessed if your source is electronic.
4. Be consistent!
General guidelines for citing an images from a book
Figure #. Artist name, Title of work. Date, medium, size. Owner of work. From: [book author]. [Book title]. Publisher location: Publisher, YYYY.
Image Scanned from a book
Fig. 1. Alice Neel, Nancy and the Rubber Plant. 1975, Oil on canvas, 203.2 x 91.4 cm. The Estate of Alice Neel. From: Ann Temkin et al. Alice Neel. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2000. Plate 64.
General guidelines for citing an image from an online source
Figure #. Artist name, Title of work. Date, medium, size. Owner of work. From [online source title], [URL] (accessed Month Day, Year).
Image downloaded from Artstor
Fig 2. Rogier van der Weyden, Saint Catherine of Alexandria. 1430-1432, Diptych panel, 18.5 x 12 cm. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. Available from: Artstor, http://www.artstor.org (accessed September 30, 2009).
Image downloaded from a museum website
Fig. 3. Caravaggio, The Denial of Saint Peter. Early 15th century, Oil on canvas, 94 x 125.4 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. From: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, http://www.metmuseum.org (accessed September 30, 2009).
*Adapted from the Maryland Institute of the Arts (MICA) library
Art Librarian
Citation Management Tools
Citation management tools are available to help you:
- collect and organize your research
- format citations for written assignments
- share sources with group members or professors
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ZoteroZotero is a free and open-source reference management software to manage bibliographic data and related research materials.
Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs)
A DOI is a unique code assigned to a digital object (such as an article from a database) used for long term, persistent access to the item's location. DOIs allow you to connect directly to a specific article, avoiding potential problems like broken links or missing URLs. To find the DOI for an article you're citing, use Crossref. To find an article from a DOI, use the DOI resolver.
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DOI LookupFind the DOI for a specific article
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DOI ResolverInput DOIs to locate articles
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Official DOI System SiteMore info on DOIs