Chicago 17th/18th · Painting
How to Cite A Painting in Chicago Edition
Chicago Notes & Bibliography asks for fuller repository detail when you cite a painting—especially medium, dimensions when known, and the holding institution with city—then a URL if you consulted a digital surrogate. Painting entries live or die on museum provenance: collection name and city matter as much as the artist.
Image Citation Generator
Chicago Style (Notes & Bibliography)
17th/18th Edition (CMOS 14.235)1. Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889, Oil on canvas, 73.7 × 92.1 cm, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, https://www.moma.org/collection/works/79802.
💡 "Copy Formatted" copies with HTML styling so pasting into Microsoft Word or Google Docs retains italicized titles and indentation automatically.
Chicago formula for a painting
Creator Last Name, First Name. Title of Work. Year. Oil on canvas, dimensions. Institution, City. URL.
Italics: Italicize titles of artworks and photographs; medium and dimensions stay roman. Year position: After the title, before medium and repository details.
Worked example
In-text citation
(See note 1)
Template: Footnote number after the sentence; shortened subsequent notes.
Figure caption
Figure 1. Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889. The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY.
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 Chicago?
Build one Chicago 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 Chicago?
Match the creator spelling used in the reference entry and apply Footnote number after the sentence; shortened subsequent notes.. If the painting is labeled as a numbered figure in the paper, add that figure number only where your instructor’s Chicago handout allows.
Do I need a figure caption when I include a painting in my paper (Chicago)?
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 Chicago?
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 Chicago?
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.