Writing & StyleStyle guide
Are Artwork Titles Italicized?
MLA treats works of art as normally independent works, so their titles are styled in italics even when the work is encountered through a museum website. Special cases such as ascribed ancient titles can require additional nuance.
In MLA-style writing, normally italicize the title of a work of art.
Key details
Core Issuehow to style the title of a work of art in MLA-style prose
Registeracademic, edited, and style-governed writing
RuleMLA treats works of art as normally independent works and styles their titles in italics even when they are viewed on a museum website.
Important caveats
Scope Boundary
This is a style convention. Special cases and other required style manuals can differ, so follow the governing style for the document.
Further guidance
Recommendation
Normally italicize artwork titles in MLA-style prose.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- How do I style the title of a work published online? (opens in a new tab)Modern Language Association · Style guidance distinguishing italicized titles of independent works such as movies and television series from quoted episode titles