How to Cite an Image in Chicago Style

Images, artwork, photographs, and visual materials are increasingly important research sources. Citing visual materials properly acknowledges the creator and enables readers to locate specific images. Chicago style provides flexible guidelines for citing various image types from museum collections, books, websites, and archives. This guide covers both Notes-Bibliography and Author-Date systems.

Information to Gather for Image Citations

Collect these elements when citing images:

• Creator name (artist, photographer, or image creator)
• Image title (exact title as given)
• Date created (year the work was created)
• Medium (oil on canvas, photograph, digital image, etc.)
• Source (museum, archive, website, book, collection)
• Location (city, institution, or web address)
• URL or repository information (for online images)

Different image types may require different information. Always gather as much detail as available.

Notes-Bibliography System for Images

Artwork from a Museum or Collection

Full note:

1. Artist First Last, Title of Work, year, medium, dimensions, Museum Name, City.

Example:

1. Vincent van Gogh, Starry Night, 1889, oil on canvas, 29 x 36.25 in., Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Shortened note:

2. van Gogh, Starry Night.

Bibliography:

van Gogh, Vincent. Starry Night. 1889. Oil on canvas. Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Photograph from a Collection or Archive

Format:

1. Photographer First Last, "Photograph Title," year, photograph, Collection Name, Archive Name, City.

Example:

1. Dorothea Lange, "Migrant Mother," 1936, photograph, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Collection, Washington, DC.

Image from a Book

Format:

1. Artist or Photographer, Title, in Book Title, ed. Editor (Place: Publisher, Year), page.

Example:

1. Pablo Picasso, Guernica, in Twentieth Century Art: Origins and Impact, ed. Susan Mitchell (New York: Academic Press, 2023), 145.

Bibliography:

Picasso, Pablo. Guernica. In Twentieth Century Art: Origins and Impact, edited by Susan Mitchell, 145. New York: Academic Press, 2023.

Image from a Website

Format:

1. Creator First Last, "Image Title," Website Name, Year, accessed Month Day, Year, URL.

Example:

1. Sarah Chen, "Urban Architecture Series #5," Digital Arts Gallery, 2024, accessed March 16, 2026, https://digitalartsgallery.org/chen-urban-05.

Bibliography:

Chen, Sarah. "Urban Architecture Series #5." Digital Arts Gallery, 2024. Accessed March 16, 2026. https://digitalartsgallery.org/chen-urban-05.

Author-Date System for Images

In-Text Citation

(Creator Year)
(van Gogh 1889)

If the image is referenced in a caption rather than text:

(van Gogh 1889)

Reference List Entry for Museum Artwork

Creator Last, First. Title. Year. Medium. Dimensions. Museum Name, City.

Example:

van Gogh, Vincent. Starry Night. 1889. Oil on canvas, 29 x 36.25 in. Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Reference List Entry for Photograph

Creator Last, First. "Title." Year. Photograph. Collection Name, Archive Name, City.

Example:

Lange, Dorothea. "Migrant Mother." 1936. Photograph. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Collection, Washington, DC.

Special Image Types

Maps and Charts

Maps and diagrams are cited similarly to other images but emphasize the information depicted.

Notes-Bibliography Map:

1. Cartographer or Source, Title of Map, year, scale, Collection, City.

Example:

1. U.S. Geological Survey, "Earthquake Hazards Map of California," 2024, 1:2,000,000, USGS, Reston, VA.

Digital or Scanned Images

For images from digital collections or archives:

Format:

1. Creator, Title, original date, original medium, digital copy, Date Digitized, Collection/Archive, URL.

Screenshots and Computer-Generated Images

Format:

1. Creator or Source, "Screenshot Title," software/source, date accessed, URL or file information.

Example:

1. Google Maps, "Satellite View of Central Park, New York," accessed March 16, 2026, https://maps.google.com/centralpark.

Social Media Images

Format:

1. Username, image description or caption, Platform, date posted, accessed date, URL.

Example:

1. @MoMA, "Visitors viewing Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon," Instagram, March 10, 2024, accessed March 16, 2026, https://instagram.com/MoMA/post/example.

Images with Unknown Creators

When the creator is unknown:

Notes-Bibliography:

1. Title of Work, year, medium, Collection, City.

Author-Date:

Title of Work. Year. Medium. Collection, City.

Including Images in Your Paper

Image Captions

Every image in your paper should include a caption identifying it. Format:

Figure 1: Title of Image, Artist/Creator Name, Year. Institution/Source.

Example:

Figure 1: Starry Night, Vincent van Gogh, 1889. Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Image Citations in Text

Refer to images formally:

As shown in Figure 1, van Gogh's composition emphasizes movement through brushwork.

Include the source in your notes and bibliography.

Permissions and Copyright

When using images:

1. Cite the source regardless of copyright status
2. Respect fair use for educational purposes
3. Provide proper attribution to creators
4. Check usage rights for published or exhibited images
5. Include permission information if required by the copyright holder

Quality and Format Considerations

Image Resolution

• Use high-resolution images (300 dpi for print, 96-150 dpi for digital)
• Ensure images are clear and identifiable when printed or displayed

File Format

• Include images in your paper document when possible
• Number images sequentially (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.)
• Place images near relevant text

Sizing and Placement

• Size images appropriately (typically 2-4 inches wide)
• Place images after the paragraph that first references them
• Use consistent sizing throughout your paper

Step-by-Step Citation Process

Step 1: Identify the image creator (artist, photographer, or source).

Step 2: Locate the image title (may be titled or descriptive).

Step 3: Find the creation date (original work date, not current date).

Step 4: Determine the medium and dimensions if applicable.

Step 5: Identify where the image is housed (museum, archive, website).

Step 6: Note the access method (viewing in person, URL, publication page).

Step 7: Format according to Notes-Bibliography or Author-Date guidelines.

Step 8: Include in bibliography/reference list and in image caption.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Using access date instead of creation date for the image
2. Omitting the creator name when available
3. Failing to include image citations in bibliography/reference list
4. Using image titles inconsistently between caption and citation
5. Not including sufficient location information for image identification
6. Forgetting to number images sequentially in the paper
7. Omitting museum/archive information for artwork
8. Using low-resolution images that are unclear when printed

Using Citation Generators for Images

Some citation tools support image citations:

• Zotero: Can tag and cite images from websites and collections
• Mendeley: Supports image and artwork citations
• EasyBib: Offers image and artwork citation options

Always verify that generated citations include complete creator, title, and location information specific to your image.

Practice Examples

Example 1: Museum Artwork

Notes-Bibliography:

1. Frida Kahlo, The Two Fridas, 1944, oil on canvas, 5.74 x 5.74 ft., Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City.

Bibliography:
Kahlo, Frida. The Two Fridas. 1944. Oil on canvas. Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City.

Author-Date:

(Kahlo 1944)

Kahlo, Frida. The Two Fridas. 1944. Oil on canvas. Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City.

Example 2: Photograph from Archive

Notes-Bibliography:

1. Ansel Adams, "Monolith, The Face of Half Dome," 1927, photograph, Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona, Tucson.

Bibliography:
Adams, Ansel. "Monolith, The Face of Half Dome." 1927. Photograph. Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona, Tucson.

Example 3: Image from Website

Notes-Bibliography:

1. National Geographic, "Iceberg A-68: Satellite Imagery," National Geographic, 2020, accessed March 16, 2026, https://nationalgeographic.org/media/iceberg-a68.

Bibliography:
National Geographic. "Iceberg A-68: Satellite Imagery." National Geographic, 2020. Accessed March 16, 2026. https://nationalgeographic.org/media/iceberg-a68.

Citing Images with Confidence

Visual materials provide evidence and illustration essential to many research papers. Properly citing images acknowledges the creativity and labor of artists and photographers while enabling readers to locate and examine the sources themselves. Whether citing canonical artworks or archival photographs, these guidelines ensure your image citations meet academic standards.

Use our citation generator to verify your image citations, and ensure every image in your paper includes both a clear caption and a complete bibliography entry.