How to Cite an Image in Chicago Manual of Style
Cite an image in Chicago with the creator, the title or a description in italics or quotation marks depending on type, the year, the medium, and the repository or website with URL. A caption can carry a short credit while the full entry sits in a note or bibliography.
Fill the required fields to generate your citation.
No account needed. Your citations stay in your browser and are never uploaded.
How to cite an image in Chicago step by step
- Name the creator. Give the artist or photographer as the author; if unknown, begin with the image title or description.
- Title or describe. Use the formal title in italics for artworks, or a brief description in roman when the work has no title.
- Date and medium. Add the year created and the medium, such as photograph, painting, or digital image.
- Repository. Name the museum, archive, or website that holds the image, with its location where relevant.
- Add the URL. For an online image, paste the full URL or stable catalog link to the exact item.
Chicago image citation format
Chicago orders an image as creator, title or description, date, medium, and repository or site. Captions and figure references can be shortened, so the worked example shows the full reference form.
Common image citation variations
How do I cite an image with no creator in Chicago?
Begin with the image title or a short description, then the date and the repository. Many archival photographs are cited by collection rather than by a named photographer.
How do I cite a figure or chart reproduced from another source in Chicago?
Cite the source the figure came from and add a credit line under the figure, such as Source, with the full reference in your notes or bibliography.
How do I cite a museum artwork I viewed online in Chicago?
Give the artist, title, date, and medium, then the holding institution, and finish with the museum website URL for the work.
How do I cite a stock or web image with only a filename in Chicago?
Use a brief description in place of a title, name the website or stock service as the source, and give the URL to the specific image page.
Cite any source in Chicago
See the full Chicago Manual of Style citation generator and every source type →
Image citation FAQ
Do artwork titles get italicized in Chicago?
Yes. Titles of paintings, photographs, and other formal artworks are italicized, while an untitled work uses a roman description.
Does an image always need a bibliography entry in Chicago?
A figure with a caption credit may not need a separate entry, but a discussed or analyzed image normally gets a full note or bibliography reference.