It is often acceptable to simply refer to the image in your text, and then refer to the book as a whole in your works cited. For example:
In Text:
In a discussion of the connection between ancient monuments and astronomy, Murphy includes a photograph of the stars over Newgrange (95).
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 book as the container when referencing.
Image of a painting, reproduced in a book
in this example the image Mariposa 10 Speed, created by Greg Conroe, is contained in the book Oh Canada: Contemporary Art from North North America
Image of a piece of art, housed in an institution, reproduced in a book
In this example the artwork The Family of Charles IV by Francisco Goya is found in the book Gardener's Art Through the Ages, and the original artwork is housed in the Museo del Prado.
Note: In the first example, there is a period after the first date. This is because the date is the last element that refers to the image. The remaining elements refer to the book (container). In the second example there is a comma after the first date, because the location following the date is in reference to the image. Refer to the core elements of MLA for further guidance regarding punctuation.
| 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, and the page number. The first time the artist/author is mentioned in text use their full name (excluding middle initials), and use their last name only after that. |
In a discussion of the connection between ancient monuments and astronomy, Murphy includes a photograph of the stars over Newgrange (95). OR A photo of the stars over Newgrange illustrations the collection between ancient monuments and astronomy (Murphy 95). |
Remember, in-text citation formatting changes depending on a number of factors.