If you italicize the title of a painting in the first mention, you must italicize it every time you mention it thereafter. Inconsistency in formatting distracts the reader and undermines the credibility of your writing.
Monet Water Lilies Italicized Correctly: A Style Guide Example
Exceptions and Specific Contexts While italics are the standard for published work, the rules can shift depending on the medium. For instance, you would discuss "the canvas" or "the sculpture," but the specific title of the piece displayed on it would still be italicized in a formal document.
You would write about Van Gogh’s Starry Night , Monet’s Water Lilies , or Picasso’s Guernica. When you encounter a painting, sculpture, or photograph, the first detail you likely notice is the title.
Monet Water Lilies Italicized Correctly
For example, if you are referring to a series of sketches about dogs as "The Dog Drawings" in casual conversation, quotes could be used. The MLA format, commonly used in literature and humanities, strongly enforces italics for artwork.
More About Are artwork titles italicized
Looking at Are artwork titles italicized from another angle can help expand the discussion and give readers a second clear paragraph under the same section.
More perspective on Are artwork titles italicized can make the topic easier to follow by connecting earlier points with a few simple takeaways.
