Anamorphosis

optical illusion · art trick · perspective

Distorted secret pictures. Anamorphosis is a painting or artwork that looks totally scrambled and weird when you view it normally, but becomes a clear, recognizable image when you stand at exactly the right spot or look at it through a curved mirror. Artists have used this trick for hundreds of years to hide secret messages and funny drawings.

Special viewing tricks. To see an anamorphic image correctly, you might need to stand very close to one side of the artwork, or you might need to use a special reflective cylinder or cone placed on top of the picture. Different anamorphic artworks require different viewing angles to reveal their hidden secrets.

Ancient Greek name. The word anamorphosis comes from two Greek words: ana, meaning back or again, and morphe, meaning shape or form. So it basically means reshaping something back into its true form.

Hidden from view. Throughout history, artists used anamorphosis to hide embarrassing, silly, or private images in their artwork. Someone glancing at the painting would only see a confusing mess, but someone who knew the secret viewing angle could see the real image.

Used everywhere today. Anamorphosis isn't just in museums anymore. You'll find it in photography, movies, sculpture, video games, and even on the street as chalk art that looks three-dimensional from certain angles.