Reflections in art

Spat Vis. 2008;21(3-5):261-70. doi: 10.1163/156856808784532581.

Abstract

When artists depict a mirror in a painting, it necessarily lacks the most obvious property of a mirror: as we move around the painting of the mirror, the reflections we see in it do not change. And yet representations of mirrors and other reflecting surfaces can be quite convincing in paintings. Here, we will examine the rules of reflection, the many ways that painters can break those rules without losing the impression of reflection and the rules that cannot be broken. The rules that govern the perception of reflection are a small subset of the physical rules of reflection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Depth Perception / physiology*
  • Form Perception / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Paintings*
  • Pattern Recognition, Visual / physiology*
  • Psychophysics / methods