FIA 110: Introduction to Art

The MLA style was developed and is maintained by the Modern Language Association (MLA). It is a set of standards for writing and documentation used by writers to find and evaluate information, alert their audience to the trustworthiness of their findings through citation, and shape the expression of their ideas in conversation with others. 

From MLA Style

Creating a Works Cited List

Because the MLA style of documentation may be applied to many different types of writing the current system is based on a few guiding principles, rather than an extensive list of specific rules. While the MLA handbook still describes how to cite sources, it is organized according to the process of documentation, rather than by the sources themselves. This gives writers a flexible method that is near-universally applicable.

Once you are familiar with the method, you can use it to document any type of source, for any type of paper, in any field.

Here is an overview of the process:

When deciding how to cite your source, start by consulting the list of core elements. These are the general pieces of information that MLA suggests including in each Works Cited entry. In your citation, the elements should be listed in the following order:

1. Author.
2. Title of source.
3. Title of container,
4. Other contributors,
5. Version,
6. Number,
7. Publisher,
8. Publication date,
9. Location.

Each element should be followed by the corresponding punctuation mark shown above. Earlier editions of the handbook included the place of publication and required different punctuation (such as journal editions in parentheses and colons after issue numbers) depending on the type of source. In the current version, punctuation is simpler (only commas and periods separate the elements), and information about the source is kept to the basics.

If a piece of information is missing, such as the author or date, skip it.

From Purdue OWL, MLA Guide

To create a basic works-cited-list entry for an image, list the creator of the image, the title of the image, the date of composition, and the location of the image, which would be a physical location if you viewed the image in person. If you viewed the image online, provide the name of the website containing the image and the URL. If you viewed the image in a print work, provide the publication information for the print work, including a page number.

From the MLA Style Center

EXAMPLES

• A work of art viewed in person:  Artist name. Title of Work. Date created, where seen, city.

Stollings, Anthony. The Thinker. 1999, African Art Gallery at NSU, Norfolk, VA.

When you don't know the information, skip it in the citation. In the example below the artist and date is unknown.

Ngaddy, A Mwaash Mask. African Art Gallery at NSU, Norfolk, VA.

• A work of art viewed in person in an exhibit: Artist name. Title of Work. Title of exhibit, dates of exhibition, location, city.

McCartney, Paul. Self-portraits in a Mirror. Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-1964: Eyes of the Storm, 5 Dec. 2023 - 7 Apr. 2024, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA.

• A work of art viewed online: Artist name. Title of Work. Date created. Website Title, url.

McCartney, Paul. Self-portraits in a Mirror. 1964. Chrysler Museum of Art, https://chrysler.org/exhibition/paul-mccartney-photographs/.

• An art catalog is cited in same way a book is: Author. Title. Publisher, date of publication.

McCartney, Paul. 1964: Eyes of the Storm, Photographs and Reflections by Paul McCartney. Liveright, 2023.

• A work of art in a print book:

Artist name. Title of Image. Book Title, by book author, name of publisher, year of publication, page number.

For more examples, visit the MLA Style Center: Posts related to artworks