An image retrieval method and apparatus independent of an illumination change are provided. The image retrieval method involves: inputting a query image; detecting an illumination color from the query image and converting the illumination color into a standard illumination color; extracting color information of the query image by using color descriptors; and retrieving a similar image by comparing the extracted color information with color information of a database which converts a variety of images into images of standard illumination colors and extracts and stores the color information of the images in advance. According to the method, without changing the structures of color descriptors or a similarity comparison using color information, an image retrieval independent of illumination changes is enabled by adding only a preceding step of standard illumination conversion.