Paintings in APA are classified as figures and use the format descriptor [Painting] in the reference entry. The citation format depends on where you accessed the work — a painting viewed in a museum, reproduced in a book, or accessed through an online gallery database each follow different templates. The core elements are consistent: the artist's name, the date of creation, the title of the work, the medium, and the location or source.
Reference Format by Source Type
Painting in a Museum or Gallery
Artist Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Title of painting [Painting]. Museum Name, City, State/Country. URL (if available)
Example:
Vermeer, J. (ca. 1665). Girl with a pearl earring [Painting]. Mauritshuis, The Hague, Netherlands. https://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/our-collection/artworks/670/
Monet, C. (1872). Impression, sunrise [Painting]. Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris, France.
Kahlo, F. (1939). The two Fridas [Painting]. Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City, Mexico.
Painting Accessed Online
When you didn't view the painting in person but accessed a reproduction through the museum's website or an art database:
Artist Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Title of painting [Painting]. Museum Name, City, State/Country. URL
Example:
van Gogh, V. (1889). The starry night [Painting]. Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY. https://www.moma.org/collection/works/79802
Painting Reproduced in a Book
Artist Last Name, First Initial. (Year of painting). Title of painting [Painting]. In A. Author/Editor (Ed.), Title of book (p. Page). Publisher.
Example:
Picasso, P. (1937). Guernica [Painting]. In R. Penrose (Ed.), Picasso: His life and work (p. 312). University of California Press.
Painting From an Art Database (e.g., Google Arts & Culture, Artstor)
Artist Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Title of painting [Painting]. Museum Name, City, State/Country. Database Name. URL
Example:
Rembrandt van Rijn. (1642). The night watch [Painting]. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Google Arts & Culture. https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/example
Painting With No Known Title
If the painting is untitled, use a description in square brackets (not italicized):
Artist Last Name, First Initial. (Year). [Untitled painting of a woman in a garden] [Painting]. Museum Name, City, State/Country.
Painting by an Unknown Artist
Title of painting [Painting]. (Year). Museum Name, City, State/Country. URL (if available)
Example:
Portrait of a young nobleman [Painting]. (ca. 1580). National Gallery, London, United Kingdom. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/example
Painting With No Date
Use "n.d." for unknown dates or "ca." for approximate dates:
Botticelli, S. (ca. 1485). The birth of Venus [Painting]. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.
In-Text Citations
| Scenario | Parenthetical | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| Known artist and date | (Vermeer, ca. 1665) | Vermeer (ca. 1665) |
| Well-known painting | (van Gogh, 1889) | van Gogh (1889) |
| Painting in a book | (Picasso, 1937) | Picasso (1937) |
| Unknown artist | ("Portrait of a Young," ca. 1580) | "Portrait of a Young" (ca. 1580) |
When first mentioning a painting in text, it's helpful to include the full title in italics:
Van Gogh's The Starry Night (1889) is among the most widely recognized paintings in Western art.
Embedding a Painting as a Figure
When you include a reproduction of a painting in your paper:
Figure 1
The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh
Note. From The starry night, by V. van Gogh, 1889, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY (https://www.moma.org/collection/works/79802). In the public domain.
Copyright and Public Domain Notes
Most paintings created before the early 20th century are in the public domain, meaning no permission is needed to reproduce them. However, photographic reproductions of paintings may be copyrighted by the museum or photographer.
Public Domain (Most Pre-20th Century Paintings)
Note. From Title of painting, by A. Artist, Year, Museum Name, City (URL). In the public domain.
Copyrighted Reproduction
Note. From Title of painting, by A. Artist, Year, Museum Name, City (URL). Photograph copyright Year by Museum/Photographer. Reprinted with permission.
Adapted (Cropped, Annotated, Detail)
Note. Adapted from Title of painting, by A. Artist, Year, Museum Name, City (URL). In the public domain.
From an Art Database
Note. From Title of painting, by A. Artist, Year, Museum Name, City, via Database Name (URL). In the public domain.
Citing Multiple Works by the Same Artist
When citing several paintings by the same artist, list each as a separate reference. In text, you can group them:
Monet's series of water lily paintings (1906, 1914–1917, 1920) explored the same garden landscape across different lighting conditions.
In the reference list, order by date:
Monet, C. (1906). Water lilies [Painting]. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
Monet, C. (1917). Water lilies [Painting]. National Gallery, London, United Kingdom.
Monet, C. (1920). Water lilies [Painting]. Musée de l'Orangerie, Paris, France.
If two works have the same title and year, add lowercase letters after the year: (1917a), (1917b).
Common Painting Citation Mistakes
- Omitting the museum location. Always include the museum name, city, and state/country where the painting is housed.
- Using [Image] instead of [Painting]. The format descriptor should be specific — [Painting] for painted works.
- Confusing the painting date with the book date. When citing a painting reproduced in a book, the reference begins with the painting's date of creation, and the book details appear in the "In" portion.
- Forgetting "ca." for approximate dates. Historical paintings often have estimated dates — use "ca." to indicate approximation.
- Citing the database instead of the museum. The museum that houses the painting is the source; the database is the access point.
- Assuming all reproductions are public domain. The painting may be public domain, but the photographic reproduction might be copyrighted by the museum.
What's Next
- How to Cite a Drawing in APA — citing illustrations, sketches, and diagrams
- How to Cite an Image in APA — broader rules for citing visual sources
- How to Cite a Photograph in APA — citing photographic sources
- APA Figures — complete figure formatting rules
- APA Tables — formatting rules for data presented in rows and columns
Archivero helps you focus on your research while keeping the formatting consistent — so you can cite artwork and fine art correctly without worrying about whether to credit the artist, the museum, or the book.
