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Mississippi State University

Image Use & Citation

If you use an image in your work, you must cite it. This includes papers, presentations, theses/dissertations, publications, blogs, etc. Learn to use and cite images correctly.

APA Image Citation

APA does not have a written standard for images. There will be differences in how other Research Guides show you how to do them. You will want to talk with your professor or editor before turning in your work.

APA Original Artwork, Sculpture or Image Citation

A Painting, Sculpture, or Photograph:

 

Image Francisco de Goya. (1820-1823). Saturn Devouring One of his Sons. [mural painting transferred to canvas]. Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain.

Caption:

Fig. #. Artist Name. (date). Title of work. [medium]. Location of artwork. city, state/country.

Example:

Fig. 4. Francisco de Goya. (1820-1823). Saturn Devouring One of his Sons. [mural painting transferred to canvas]. Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain.

In-Text Citation:

(last name, Date)

Example:

(Goya, 1820-1823)

Reference List:

last name, first initial. (date). Title of work. [medium]. Location of artwork. city, state/country.

Example:

de Goya, F. (1820-1823). Saturn Devouring One of his Sons. [mural painting transferred to canvas]. Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain.

APA Photographic Reproductions of Art

Image Celebration of the Modern City. From Art History (p. 1058), by Umberto Boccioni, 1911, New York, NY: Harry N Abrams, Inc. Copyright [1995] by M. Stockstad.

 

 

Caption:

Fig. number. Description or title of image. From Title of Book (p. xxx), by Author, year, Place of Publication: Publisher. Copyright [year] by the Name of Copyright Holder.

Example:

Fig. 1. Celebration of the Modern City. From Art History (p. 1058), by Umberto Boccioni, 1911, New York, NY: Harry N Abrams, Inc. Copyright [1995] by M. Stockstad.

 

 
Reference List:

Artist or Author. (Year of image creation). Description or title of image [Image format]. Place artwork is located. From Author or Editor, Title of Book (pages). Location: Publisher, Year of book publication.

Example:

Boccioni, Umberto (1911). States of Mind: The Farewells [Oil on Canvas]. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. From M. Stockstad, Art History (p. 1058). New York, NY: Harry N Abrams, Inc., 1995.

APA Online Image Citation

 

Image Tennial, J. (1865). The Caterpillar. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alice_05a-1116x1492.jpg

 

Examples:

Tennial, J. (1865). The Caterpillar. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alice_05a-1116x1492.jpg

In-Text Citation:

(Tennial, 1865)

Captions under illustrations/ figures:

Figure 1. The caterpillar gives Alice a lesson. From "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by L. Carroll, 1865. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alice_05a-1116x1492.jpg. Public Domain image, the author died in 1914, copyright in country of origin and others have expired.

 

APA Image from Library Database

 

 

Creator (Last, First). (date). Title [medium]. Database. Retrieved from Web address.

Peters, J.L. (1872). Phrenological Waltzes [Print, Electronic resource]. Library of Congress: Music Division.  Retrieved from https://www.loc.gov/item/sm1872.06931/.