How to Cite Artworks in Harvard Style
The rules for citing an artwork found in a museum or a museum website differ substantially from those for an image found in a secondary source like a book or blog post.
When citing an artwork found in a museum or a museum website you will need the following:
- Artist name
- Date of composition
- Title of artwork
- Medium (“oil on canvas”/“graphite on paper”, etc.)
- Name and location of museum or gallery
- Link to artwork on the museum/gallery website (if viewed online)
Format for citing artwork in a gallery or museum
Surname, Initial(s). (Date) Title [Medium]. Museum/Gallery, City.
For example:
Pollock, J. (1946) Eyes in the Heat [Oil and enamel on canvas]. Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice.
Format for citing artwork viewed online
To cite an artwork viewed online, the format is as follows:
Surname, Initial(s). (Date) Title [Medium]. Museum/Gallery, City. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).
For example:
Constable, J. (1821)The Hay Wain [Oil on canvas]. The National Gallery, London. Available at: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/john-constable-the-hay-wain (Accessed: 9 November 2020).
Citing an exhibition
To cite a museum or gallery exhibition, you will need the following:
- Title of the exhibition
- Exhibition date(s)
- Name and location of museum or gallery
Format for citing an exhibition
Exhibition Title (Year) [Exhibition]. Museum/Gallery, City. Date(s) of exhibition.
For example:
Modernism in Miniature (2022-2023) [Exhibition]. Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena. 12 August 2022-9 January 2023.
Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirror Rooms (2022-2023) [Exhibition]. Tate Modern, London. 18 May 2021-11 June 2023.
Format for citing an individual artwork in an exhibition
Artist Surname, Initial(s). (Year) Title of artwork [Medium] in Title of Exhibition [Exhibition]. Gallery/Museum, City. Date(s) of exhibition.
For example:
Klee, P. (1922) Park [Colour collotype on laid paper] in Modernism in Miniature [Exhibition]. Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena. 12 August 2022-9 January 2023.