 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
 | This page in a nutshell: Before using an imaginary or fictitious image of a historical person or event, consider whether it really has any encyclopedic value. |
Many articles on historical persons or events cannot be illustrated with authentic material, as no contemporary portraits or other depictions of the subject exist. Wikipedia editors have often resorted to the use of imaginary depictions from later periods, often by modern artists. However, in most cases such imaginary depictions have no encyclopedic information value, as they cannot convey any actual information to the reader about the subject. This essay argues that the use of non-contemporary imaginary depictions of people or events, outside certain special circumstances where they can be justified, should generally be avoided on Wikipedia.[1]
- ^ In a few cases, imaginary portraiture has been contentious in Wikipedia for special cultural and ideological reasons other than those discussed here, most notoriously in the case of depictions of Mohammed. These special cases are outside the scope of this essay, although some of its arguments might also be applicable to them.