It is often acceptable to simply refer to the image in your text, and then refer to the website as a whole in your works cited.
However,
If the image itself, or the content of the image (sculpture, painting, etc.) has an artist and/or title associated with it, or if it is central to your argument, treat the image as the work, and treat the website as the container when referencing.
Depending on the source, all of the above elements may not be available. Use the Core Elements of MLA Style to build your reference with the available information. Remember that elements 3-9 may repeat if there is more than one container. See examples below.
| In-text Citation Guidelines |
Examples |
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If you include the image as a figure in your paper, refer to the figure in parenthesis. use "figure" or "fig." with the accession number of the image. See Including Images in Your Paper for more information. |
Consider this a sentence describing the image (figure 1). OR Consider this a sentence describing the image (fig. 1).
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If you refer to the image in text, but do not include it as a figure in your paper, cite as usual, including the author/artist/creator's last name or the first element of the works cited entry if no author is available. |
In discussion of the body casts of Pompeii, a haunting photograph of the cast known as The Muleteer depicts the tragedy that befell the region after the famous eruption (Sheldon). Note: Websites often do not have page or other identifying numbers. If this is the case, omit the page number from the in-text citation. |
Remember, in-text citation formatting changes depending on a number of factors.