Christian Lemmerz
Madonna Grigia
white Carrara marble
2003
Ars Gratia Artis
Citations
Citation and Style Guides
Typically, scholars in art, art history and related design fields use the Chicago Manual of Style. It is recommended by the College Art Association in their Publication Style Guide, and has become the standard for these disciplines.
The library maintains an online subscription to the Chicago Manual of Style, as well as a printed copy at the Art Library Service Desk. See the very brief handout below for simple citations in Chicago Style. For anything more complex you should consult the manual.
Captioning Art Images
None of the style guides provide good guidance for captioning art works, see the College Art Association's Publication Style Guide. The section on captions gives detailed guidance, and a number of examples. You may also want to consult the handout below, which gives a very basic overview of how to put a caption for an art image together.
Other sources for Writing and Citation
Two Northwestern University Library research guides may offer additional assistance:
- Writing Resources for Students offers information about writing guides, style guides, dictionaries, and grammar.
- Start your Research has a tab titled Cite your Sources, which covers the various citation management or bibliographic software available to you. Bibliographic software can take a lot of the labor out of writing proper citations, though, it should be mentioned that citations produced need to be proofed!
The Purdue Owl (Purdue University Online Writing Lab) offers a useful overview of the two documentation styles offered by Chicago: the notes/blbliography style, used by authors in the arts and humanities, and the author/date style, used primarily by authors in the social sciences. To be sure of the right style to use in your pager, ask your instructor or TA..
Most importantly, everyone needs some personal help sometimes!
- The Writing Place offers students students individual consultations on any kind of writing you may be doing, from formulating ideas to getting your citations right. During fall 2020, they will be consulting online, using Zoom and google docs.
- You are also welcome to consult with one of the librarians in the Art Library.
Cara List: cara.list@northwestern.edu
Perry Nigro: perry.nigro@northwestern.edu
A Short Guide to Writing about Art by
The best-selling guide to writing about art Sylvan Barnet's A Short Guide to Writing About Art guides students through every aspect of writing about art. Students are shown how to analyze pictures (drawings, paintings, photographs), sculptures and architecture, and are prepared with the tools they need to present their ideas through effective writing. Coverage of essential writing assignments includes formal analysis, comparison, research paper, review of an exhibition, and essay examination. New to the 11th edition is a chapter on "Virtual Exhibitions: Writing Text Panels and Other Materials."
Call Number: N7476 .B37 2015ISBN: 020588699XPublication Date: 2014
The Chicago Manual of Style by
**The 16th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style has been superseded by the 17th edition.** While digital technologies have revolutionized the publishing world in the twenty-first century, one thing still remains true: The Chicago Manual of Style is the authoritative, trusted source that writers, editors, and publishers turn to for guidance on style and process. For the sixteenth edition, every aspect of coverage has been reconsidered to reflect how publishing professionals work today. Though processes may change, the Manual continues to offer the clear, well-considered style and usage advice it has for more than a century. The sixteenth edition offers expanded information on producing electronic publications, including web-based content and e-books. An updated appendix on production and digital technology demystifies the process of electronic workflow and offers a primer on the use of XML markup, and a revised glossary includes a host of terms associated with electronic as well as print publishing. The Chicago system of documentation has been streamlined and adapted for a variety of online and digital sources. Figures and tables are updated throughout the book--including a return to the Manual's popular hyphenation table and new, comprehensive listings of Unicode numbers for special characters.
Call Number: 655.2 C53 2010ISBN: 9780226104201Publication Date: 2010
Handouts
- Chicago Manual of Style: a very brief guideThis handout provides a very basic outline of a standard Chicago style note and bibliographic entry for a book or for an article. For anything more complex, consult the full manual.
- College Art Association CaptioningThis handout is a very brief guide to the standard format for a caption for an art image, as developed by the College Art Association.
Citation Managers
The task of managing citations is almost as difficult as formatting them correctly. The problem becomes even more acute as your writing develops and your research requirements increase in number and complexity. Citation Managers are software applications that organize your citations, keeping track of necessary data and formatting it correctly according to a chosen citation style. They work as either standalone programs or browser plug-ins, and some can integrate with popular word processing software to mange, insert, and format citations and bibliographies as you write. Popular examples include:
Because they all offer the same basic functionality, the choice is often a matter of personal preference based on ease of use, extensabilty, or specific features. The library offers workshops for each one, which can provide a basic introduction and help you choose which is right for your individual needs.
In addition, there are dedicated LibGuides for Endnote and Zotero.
Plagiarism
Your writing will naturally build on the work of others, while simultaneously adding your own voice to the academic conversation. That conversation requires, however, that you acknowledge the contributions of the authors and artists whose words and ideas you use. Failing to do so is plagiarism, a serious academic offense that consists of submitting work that is not the author's own, without acknowledging the sources on which it relies.
As you begin your time at Northwestern, take a moment to read the University statements on academic integrity and plagiarism, including information relevant to your individual school.