Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Fooling the eyes: trompe l'oeil and reverse perspective.

N J Wade1, P Hughes

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Dundee, Scotland, UK.

Perception
|March 1, 2000
PubMed
Summary

Trompe l'oeil art creates illusions of 3D structures on flat surfaces. Patrick Hughes’s unique relief works, using reverse perspective, produce dynamic visual distortions for viewers with two eyes across various distances.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

An overview of interventional pulmonary embolism management in the United Kingdom in 2026.

Clinical radiology·2026
Same author

Why did Donders, after describing pseudotorsion, deny the existence of ocular counterrolling together with Ruete, Volkmann, von Graefe and von Helmholtz, until Javal reconfirmed its existence?

Strabismus·2020
Same author

Improving access to mental healthcare for displaced Syrians: case studies from Syria, Iraq and Turkey.

BJPsych international·2017
Same author

Single-dose rituximab in refractory lupus nephritis.

Internal medicine journal·2016
Same author

Enhancing the provision of health and social care in Europe through eHealth.

International nursing review·2016
Same author

Retinal disease in the C3 glomerulopathies and the risk of impaired vision.

Ophthalmic genetics·2016

Area of Science:

  • Art History
  • Visual Perception
  • Optical Illusions

Background:

  • Trompe l'oeil art historically creates illusions of three-dimensional depth on two-dimensional surfaces.
  • Successful trompe l'oeil often requires a constrained viewpoint and monocular (single-eye) observation.
  • Patrick Hughes's art challenges these conventions by using relief and reverse perspective.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the visual effects of Patrick Hughes's relief trompe l'oeil paintings.
  • To investigate how reverse perspective influences the perception of three-dimensional structure.
  • To understand the role of observer movement and binocular vision in experiencing these artworks.

Main Methods:

  • Examination of Patrick Hughes's relief artworks.
  • Analysis of the use of reverse perspective in painting.
  • Observation of visual distortions from different viewpoints and with binocular vision.

Main Results:

  • Hughes's works, though in relief, are painted to resemble flat images.
  • Protruding elements are depicted as pictorially distant, employing reverse perspective.
  • Observer movement leads to fluid distortions of the pictorial image.
  • These distortions are noticeable with binocular observation and across a range of viewing distances.

Conclusions:

  • Patrick Hughes's art utilizes reverse perspective in relief to create dynamic visual illusions.
  • The artworks demonstrate how manipulating pictorial depth can alter perceived three-dimensional structure.
  • These pieces offer a unique interactive experience for viewers, engaging binocular vision and movement.

Related Experiment Videos