This article describes magnetic resonance (MR) imaging approaches for assessing cardiac structure and myocardial pump function. Selected areas, such as congenital heart disease and diseases of the aorta, are fully discussed in other articles. This article is divided into cardiac structure and ventricular function. Throughout, representative images are included. There are two distinct types of images: spin echo images, in which the blood appears dark (Figure 1A), and gradient echo images, in which the blood appears white (Figure 1B). There are numerous applications of MR imaging for assessing cardiac structure and pump function, and MR imaging compares favorably to other imaging modalities (Table 1). Spin echo imaging is optimal for some, whereas gradient echo imaging is better for others (Table 2).