There is no one exact format for captions, what you include will depend on the type of image. When images of artworks are included within texts, a caption provides a reference to the artwork. When including illustrations of diagrams, maps, photographs etc within texts, a caption provides a description or an explanation of the contents of the illustration.
Captions are usually positioned below the image and start with a figure number. To refer to images as they are introduced in the text, cite the figure number in parentheses (abbreviated as fig.). Spatial indicators such as “clockwise from left”, “left to right” or “top to bottom” are italicised within parentheses.
If the creator is unknown you can leave this part blank, or write ‘uncredited’ or 'creator unknown'. If the date is unknown, you can include 'n.d.' (for 'no date'), or write 'undated', and/or include an access date if it is a digital image.
You can also include a List of Figures, in bibliography format, providing the full details. For example, you may include the medium/dimensions of artworks, a photographer credit, the physical location of the item (often a gallery or museum), the resource you took the image from (e.g. a book or journal's reference details), a URL, or copyright information (if you are publishing the paper).
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Rule for Caption |
Figure Number. Creator, Title or Description/explanation, year (if relevant). |
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Example of Caption entry |
Figure 1. Palace of the Governors, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Undated photograph, circa 1900. Figure 2. Schematic block diagram showing upper plate (top) and lower plate (bottom) of the Battle Lake thrust-tear fault system. |
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Text references to illustrations |
Refer to illustrations that are introduced in the text by the figure number abbreviated as fig. For example: "As can be seen in the Palace of the Governors (fig. 1) ... " |
For photographs showing details, artwork documentation, film stills or exhibition installations follow the second example in the "rule for caption" section of the table below.
Adjust the List of Figures information as needed. For example, you do not need to include the copyright information for internal university assessments, only for works to be published.
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Rule for Caption |
Figure Number. Artist’s Full Name, Title of Artwork, Year of production. or Figure Number. Artist’s Full Name, Description of documentation or representation Title of Artwork, Artworks or Exhibition, Year of production. |
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Example of Caption entry |
Figure 1. Rose Nolan, Give or Take, 2017. Figure 2. Yayoi Kusama with Infinity Mirror Room: Phalli's Field, Castellane Gallery, New York, 1965. Figure 3. Eija-Liisa Ahtila, production still from The House, 2002. Figure 4. George Stubbs, Tiger Skeleton, Lateral View, ca. 1795 - 1806. |
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Text references to illustrations |
Refer to illustrations as that are introduced in the text by the figure number abbreviated as fig. For example: "Rose Nolan’s Give or Take is a feature piece of the Caulfield Library (fig. 1) ... " |
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Rule for List of Figures |
Figure Number. Artist’s Surname, Given Name. Title of Artwork. Year of production. Medium, dimensions. Collection, Place of collection. Courtesy line. Photographic credit. URL or reference information for image source. or Figure Number. Artist’s Surname, Given Name. Description of documentation or representation Title of Artwork or Artworks or Exhibition. Year of production. Medium, Relevant details including duration. Collection, Place of collection. Courtesy line. Photographic credit. Copyright information. URL or reference information for image source. |
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Example of List of Figures entry |
Figure 1. Nolan, Rose. Give or Take. 2017. Red and white ceramic tiles, 300 x 1,385 cm. Monash University Collection, Melbourne. Monash University Public Art Commission, 2017. Photograph: Andrew Curtis. https://www.monash.edu/muma/collection/100-works-of-the-monash-university-collection/100-works/rose-nolan Figure 2. Kusama, Yayoi. Infinity Mirror Room: Phalli's Field. 1965. Castellane Gallery, New York. Image courtesy: Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo. © Yayoi Kusama, Yayoi Kusama Studio inc. Figure 3. Ahtila, Eija-Liisa. Production still from The House. 2002. Super 16 mm colour film transferred to a 3-channel video, 14 minute loop. Edition five of five. © 2002 Crystal Eye, Helsinki. Figure 4. Stubbs, George. Tiger skeleton, lateral view. ca. 1795-1806. In Lippincott, Louise and Andreas Bluhm. Fierce friends: artists and animals, 1750-1900, 64. London: Merrell, 2005. |
References to works of art, design and architecture are commonly presented within the text and include the artist’s or designer’s name, the full title of the work and the year it was created. Other details including media, exhibitions and collections can be narrated where relevant. When visual material of this kind is the focus of discussion or analysis, an illustration is commonly included with an accompanying caption (see rules above).
If a citation is needed, follow the patterns below. The dimensions of artworks are conventionally ordered by height, width, depth. References to visual material consulted online can include a URL.
If the artwork is produced in another publication, cite the figure number and give the full publication details in the reference list.
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Rule for Citation |
(Artist’s Surname Year of production) |
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Example of Citation entry |
"Elements of this can be seen in works like The House (Ahtila 2002) ... " (Breuer 1925) (Kusama 1965) (Liebovitz 2002, fig. 6) (Mies van der Rohe 1929) (Nauman 1970) (Nolan 2017) |
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Rule for Reference list |
Artist’s Surname, Given Name. Year of production. Title of Artwork. Medium, dimensions. Collection or exhibition, Place of collection or exhibition. |
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Example of Reference list entry |
Ahtila, Eija-Liisa. 2002. The House. Super 16mm colour film transferred to a 3-channel video, 14 minute loop. The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Breuer, Marcel. 1925–26. Club Chair (Wassily Chair or B3). Chrome-plated tubular steel and canvas upholstery, 72 x 78 x 71 cm. Kusama, Yayoi. 1965. Infinity Mirror Room: Phalli’s Field. Sewn stuffed fabric, mirrors, 250 x 455 x 455 cm. Castellane Gallery, New York. Liebovitz, Annie. 1990. Robert La Fosse, New York City. In Annie Liebovitz. 2002. Dancers: Photographs by Annie Liebovitz. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. Mies van der Rohe, Ludwig. 1929. Barcelona Pavilion. Barcelona. Nauman, Bruce. 1970. Live-Taped Video Corridor. Wallboard, video camera, two video monitors, videotape player, videotape, dimensions variable. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. Nolan, Rose. 2017. Give or Take. Red and white ceramic tiles, 300 x 1,385 cm. Monash University, Melbourne. https://www.monash.edu/muma/collection/100-works-of-the-monash-university-collection/100-works/rose-nolan. |
When citing illustrations sourced from publications, refer to the publication itself and then state the type and the figure number of the illustration within the source. Only list the publication in the reference list.
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Rule for Citation |
(Author’s or Editor’s Surname Year of publication, page number, illustration type and number) |
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Example of Citation entry |
(Sobel 1993, 87, table 5.3) |
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Rule for Reference list |
Author’s or Editor’s Surname, Given Name their role. Year of publication. Title of Publication: Subtitle of Publication. Place of publication: Publisher’s name. |
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Example of Reference list entry |
Sobel, Richard ed., 1993. Public Opinion in US Foreign Policy: The Controversy over Contra Aid. Boston: Rowman and Littlefield. |