LibGuides: Art and Design: MLA Citing Sources for Artists

How to cite uncommon sources

Wall Plaques

Format of information (wall text, object label, brochure), Gallery Name, Number or Exhibition Title, Museum Name, City, State.

Example:
Wall text, Playful Performers, National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C.

Artwork in a Museum

Frank Duveneck, Whistling Boy, oil on canvas, 1872, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH.

Duveneck, Frank, Whistling Boy, oil on canvas, 1872, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH.

Comic Books

For MLA help with citing a comic book, head to this website: Comic Art in Scholarly Writing: A Citation Guide for different examples of citations based on what kind of comic you're looking to cite.

Images

For Titled Images

Source	Reference List Citation
Library database	Rousseau, H. (1896). The ship in the storm [Painting]. Musee de l'Orangerie, Paris. Retrieved from Oxford Art Online database.
Free Web	Rousseau, H. (1896). The ship in the storm [Painting]. Musee de l'Orangerie, Paris. Retrieved from http://www.uwm.edu/~wash/rousseau.jpg
Image reproduced in a printed source	Rousseau, H. (1896). The ship in the storm [Painting]. Musee de l'Orangerie, Paris. Henri Rousseau: Jungles in Paris. By Claire Fresches et al. Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art. 232. The plate/image number (or, if this number is not available, the page number on which the image is printed) should follow the name of the publisher as shown.

For an Untitled Image

Create a brief title for it and place it in brackets, unitalicized.

Source	Reference List Citation
Library database	Muybridge, E. [Photograph of a horse running]. (1887). National Gallery, London. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
Image reproduced in a printed source	Muybridge, E. [Photograph of a horse running]. (1887). National Gallery, London. River of shadows: Eadweard Muybridge and the technological wild West. By Rebecca Solnit. New York, NY: Viking. 52. The plate/image number (or, if this number is not available, the page number on which the image is printed) should follow the name of the publisher as shown.

Source

Reference List Citation

Library database

Muybridge, E. [Photograph of a horse running]. (1887). National Gallery, London. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.

Image reproduced in a printed source

Muybridge, E. [Photograph of a horse running]. (1887). National Gallery, London. River of shadows: Eadweard Muybridge and the technological wild West. By Rebecca Solnit. New York, NY: Viking. 52.

The plate/image number (or, if this number is not available, the page number on which the image is printed) should follow the name of the publisher as shown.

MLA Quick Guide Citations

Sources that help you cite with MLA

Everything you need to know about MLA citations by Higley, Stephanie.
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 1927639382
Publication Date: 2012
MLA Handbook by The Modern Language Association of America
Call Number: Drinko Library 3 hour Reserve LB2369 .M52 2021
ISBN: 9781603293518
Publication Date: 2021-04-22
Relied on by generations of writers, the MLA Handbook is published by the Modern Language Association and is the only official, authorized book on MLA style.
MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. 3d ed. by Modern Language Association of America Staff (Created by)
Call Number: Drinko Library 3 hr. Reserve PN147 .G444 2008
ISBN: 0873522974
Publication Date: 2008
Offers complete, up-to-date guidance on writing scholarly texts, documenting research sources, submitting manuscripts to publishers, and dealing with legal issues surrounding publication.

MLA Formatting and Style Guide - Purdue OWL
Offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.
Purdue Owl: More Uncommon Sources
Includes citations for a number of other non-print sources, including interviews, lectures and other oral presentations; paintings, sculpture, or photographs; films and broadcasts,

MLA Handbook Plus This link opens in a new window
The go-to resource for writers of research papers and anyone citing sources. MLA Handbook Plus includes the full text of the ninth edition of the handbook as well as the first editions of both the MLA Guide to Digital Literacy and the MLA Guide to Undergraduate Research in Literature.

Documenting Sources in MLA Style: 2009 Update. (PDF)
A 60-page booklet that is a supplement to Diana Hacker handbooks.
Citation Style Chart - Purdue OWL (PDF)
Side-by-side comparison of APA, MLA, and CMS styles. To find a specific example of a citation, use the search function (Command + F for Mac, Control + F for PC) and type in the type of example you need, e.g., "Book," "Three or More Authors," "Journal Article," etc. Chart created by Justin King Rademaekers.

Cite Right. 2d ed. by Charles Lipson
Call Number: Drinko Library 3 hr Reserve PN171.F56 L55 2011
ISBN: 9780226484631
Publication Date: 2011-05-15
No-nonsense advice on how to cite sources properly and avoid plagiarism when writing their research papers, This new edition has been updated to reflect the most current versions of Chicago, MLA, APA, and other styles, and to discuss citation methods in the rapidly changing context of the Internet, digital publishing, and e-books.