APA 7th Edition · Painting
How to Cite A Painting in APA 7th Edition
In APA 7th Edition, a painting citation must identify the creator, date, title, format tag, and source. Instructors in psychology and education expect the bracketed format (for example [Oil on canvas]) and a figure note whenever you reproduce the visual in your paper. Painting entries live or die on museum provenance: collection name and city matter as much as the artist.
Image Citation Generator
APA Style
7th Edition (Section 10.14)💡 "Copy Formatted" copies with HTML styling so pasting into Microsoft Word or Google Docs retains italicized titles and indentation automatically.
APA 7th formula for a painting
Creator, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of work in sentence case [Oil on canvas]. Site or Museum Name. URL
Italics: Italicize standalone image titles in sentence case; keep format tags in square brackets roman. Year position: Immediately after the author, in parentheses.
Worked example
In-text citation
(van Gogh, 1889)
Template: (Creator, Year) or Creator (Year)
Figure caption
Figure 1 The Starry Night Note. From The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, by V. van Gogh, 1889, (https://www.moma.org/collection/works/79802). Public domain / fair use for educational citation example.
Special rules for paintings
- List medium and dimensions when Chicago or museum-style detail is expected.
- If you viewed a museum website reproduction, still name the holding institution.
- Italicize the painting title; keep the medium description in roman type.
Source of truth: The museum or collection that holds the original work, including city when required.
Common mistakes
- Citing Wikimedia Commons as the creator instead of the artist and museum.
- Dropping the city of the museum in Chicago-style notes.
- Title-casing APA titles that should be sentence case.
FAQ
How do you cite a painting in APA 7th?
Build one APA 7th reference from creator → date → title → “Oil on canvas” → host. Then paste the finished string into your reference list; do not leave the format field blank or point to a search-results URL.
What is the in-text citation for a painting in APA 7th?
Match the creator spelling used in the reference entry and apply (Creator, Year) or Creator (Year). If the painting is labeled as a numbered figure in the paper, add that figure number only where your instructor’s APA 7th handout allows.
Do I need a figure caption when I include a painting in my paper (APA 7th)?
Only if you reprint the visual. A mention in prose needs in-text + reference list; a reproduced painting also needs a numbered caption so readers can connect the picture on the page to the bibliography entry.
Where should I look for source details for a painting?
Start on the object or article page that displays the painting, then read the credit line, about panel, or download metadata. Skip aggregator cards and thumbnail feeds—they rarely carry a citable creator or permanent link.
What is a common mistake when citing paintings in APA 7th?
Students often citing Wikimedia Commons as the creator instead of the artist and museum. Another frequent miss: treating a cropped social share as the publisher of record.
How is citing a painting different from citing a generic online photo in APA 7th?
A generic photo citation can stop at photographer + site + URL. For paintings, you also have to capture list medium and dimensions when Chicago or museum-style detail is expected. That extra field is what keeps the entry recoverable.