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Chicago Citation Guide

Common Exceptions

Mononyms

Mononyms refers to artists who go by a single name. For those artists, simply list their name followed by a period and continue to the title element.

  • Giotto.
  • Michelangelo.
  • Titian.

Place-Based Names

For artists who have a location or place as part of their name, list the whole name in normal order followed by a period and continue to the title element.

  • Andrea del Sarto.
  • El Greco.
  • Leonardo da Vinci.

Generational Descriptors

For artists identified with an added generational descriptor, list their last name, a comma, their first name, a comma, and then the descriptor. After that, type a period and continue to the title element.

  • Bruegel, Pieter, the Elder
  • Holbein, Hans, the Younger.

When a work of art has a date range, separate the two dates with an en dash.

  • 1520–1522.

If a work of art has an approximate date, often indicated by the word circa (commonly abbreviated c. or ca.), use the date with the abbreviation ca. and keep the "c" lowercase.

  • ca. 1812.
  • ca. 15th century.

If the artwork belongs to a specific historical period or cultural era, use that.

  • Edo period.
  • Ming dynasty.

Artwork Viewed In Person

Bibliography Template

Artist. Artwork Title. Date. Medium, Dimensions. Museum, Location. Object/accession number.

Object/accession numbers can usually be found on the museum website.

Bibliography Examples

d'Antonio, Biagio. Virgin Adoring the Child. 1470s. Tempera and oil on wood, 27 1/16 x 19 5/16 - 27 3/16 in. (68.7-69 x 49 cm). The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, FL. Object no. SN15.

Tomlin, Bradley Walker. French Literature. ca. 1930. Oil on canvas, 20 1/16 x 24 1/8 in. (51 x 61.3 cm). Harn Museum of Art, Gainesville, FL. Object no. 1991.20.2.


Note Template

1 Artist, Artwork Title. Date, medium, dimensions. Museum, Location, object/accession number.

Note Example

1 Biagio d'Antonio, Virgin Adoring the Child, 1470s, tempera and oil on wood, 27 1/16 x 19 5/16 - 27 3/16 in. (68.7-69 x 49 cm), The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, FL, object no. SN15.

2 Bradley Walker Tomlin, French Literature, ca. 1930, oil on canvas, 20 1/16 x 24 1/8 in. (51 x 61.3 cm), Harn Museum of Art, Gainesville, FL, object no. 1991.20.2.

Artwork Viewed Online

Bibliography Template

Artist. Artwork Title. Date. Medium, Dimensions. Website. URL.

Bibliography Examples

Botero, Fernando. Monalisa. 1978. Painting, 1600 mm x 1830 mm. Google Arts & Culture. https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/monalisa/OwG2Tsb1erVytQ.

Johnson, Cornelius. The Capel Family. ca. 1640. Oil on canvas, 63 in. x 102 in. (1600 mm x 2591 mm). The National Portrait Gallery. https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw00433/The-Capel-Family.


Note Template

1 Artist, Artwork Title, Date, medium, dimensions, Website. URL.

Note Example

1 Fernando Botero, Monalisa, 1978, painting, 1600 mm x 1830 mm, Google Arts & Culture, https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/monalisa/OwG2Tsb1erVytQ.

2 Cornelius Johnson, The Capel Family, ca. 1640, oil on canvas, 63 in. x 102 in. (1600 mm x 2591 mm), The National Portrait Gallery, https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw00433/The-Capel-Family.

Artwork Viewed in a Book

Bibliography Template

Artist. Artwork Title. Date. Medium, Dimensions. In Book Title by Author/edited by Editor. Publisher, Date.

Bibliography Examples

Duccio. Maestà. 1308–1311. Tempera and gold on wood, 213 cm × 396 cm (84 in × 156 in). In Art in World History by Mary Hollingsworth. Sharpe Reference, 2004.

Lange, Dorothea. Migrant Mother. 1936. Gelatin silver print photograph, 28.3 cm × 21.8 cm (11.1 in × 8.6 in). In American Photography by Miles Orvell. Oxford University Press, 2003.


Note Template

1 Artist, Artwork Title, Date, medium, dimensions, in Book Title by Author/edited by Editor (Publisher, Date).

Note Example

1 Duccio, Maestà, 1308–1311, tempera and gold on wood, 213 cm × 396 cm (84 in × 156 in), in Art in World History by Mary Hollingsworth (Sharpe Reference, 2004).

2 Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother, 1936, gelatin silver print photograph, 28.3 cm × 21.8 cm (11.1 in × 8.6 in), in American Photography by Miles Orvell (Oxford University Press, 2003).

Artwork with Unknown Artist

Bibliography Template

Artwork Title. Date. Medium, Dimensions. [Museum/Website/Book].*

*See detailed templates above depending on if the artwork was viewed in a museum, on a website, or within a book.

Bibliography Examples

Virgin of Vladimir. 12th century. Tempera painting on wood, 104 cm × 69 cm (41 in × 27 in). In A Little History of Art by Charlotte Mullins. Yale University Press, 2022.

Winged Victory of Samothrace. ca. 200-190 BCE. Parian marble sculpture, 244 cm (96 in). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace.


Note Template

1 Artwork Title, Date, medium, dimensions, [Museum/Website/Book].

Note Example

1 Virgin of Vladimir, 12th century, tempera painting on wood, 104 cm × 69 cm (41 in × 27 in), in A Little History of Art by Charlotte Mullins (Yale University Press, 2022).

2 Winged Victory of Samothrace, ca. 200-190 BCE, Parian marble sculpture, 244 cm (96 in), Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace.

Artwork with No Official Title

Bibliography Template

Artist (if known). Description of artwork. Date. Medium, Dimensions. [Museum/Website/Book].*

*See detailed templates above depending on if the artwork was viewed in a museum, on a website, or within a book.

Bibliography Examples

Franck, Kaj. Glass. ca. 1950. Glass, 1 7/8 × 2 in. (4.8 × 5.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/485116.

Scarab pendant. 1897–1878 B.C.E., 12th Dynasty. Metalwork with inlaid carnelian, green feldspar, and lapis lazuli. Smarthistory. https://smarthistory.org/scarab-pendant-2/?sidebar=africa-before-1500.


Note Template

1 Artist (if known), description of artwork, Date, medium, dimensions, [Museum/Website/Book].

Note Example

1 Kaj Franck, glass, ca. 1950, glass, 1 7/8 × 2 in. (4.8 × 5.1 cm), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/485116.

2 Scarab pendant, 1897–1878 B.C.E., 12th Dynasty, metalwork with inlaid carnelian, green feldspar, and lapis lazuli, Smarthistory, https://smarthistory.org/scarab-pendant-2/?sidebar=africa-before-1500.

Wall Text

Wall text is the written information displayed next to an artwork that provides details such as the artist's name, title, date, medium, and sometimes context or interpretation. If you use information from wall text, cite it within your text or as a note only; do not include a bibliography entry.


Note Template

1 Wall text accompanying Artwork by Artist, Museum (Location).

Note Example

1 Wall text accompanying French Literature by Bradley Walker Tomlin, Harn Museum of Art (Gainesville, FL).

2 Wall text accompanying Virgin Adoring Child by Biagio d'Antonio, The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art (Sarasota, FL).

Exhibition Catalog

Bibliography Template

Author/Editor. Title of Exhibition Catalog. Publisher, Date. URL. Exhibition catalog.*

*Only include 'exhibition catalog' if it is not clear from the title.

Bibliography Examples

Seligman, Rachel, editor. Christine Sun Kim: Oh Me Oh My. Delmonico Books, 2023. Exhibition catalog.

Vreeland, Diana. American Women of Style: An Exhibition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1975. https://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15324coll10/id/197250/rec/84.


Note Template

1 Author/Editor, Title of Exhibition (Publisher, Date), cited page, URL.

Do not include the additional 'exhibition catalog' in the note.

Note Example

1 Rachel Seligman, ed., Christine Sun Kim: Oh Me Oh My (Delmonico Books, 2023), 23.

2 Diana Vreeland, American Women of Style: An Exhibition (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1975), https://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15324coll10/id/197250/rec/84.

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