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Why Do Paintings Seem to Move?

Some paintings seem to move because they use special patterns that our eyes follow. Imagine looking at a striped shirt, if you move your head, the stripes appear to shift. Paintings with similar lines or colors can create this same trick on a bigger scale.

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Examples

  1. A painting of waves seems to move when you walk past it.
  2. Stripes on a wall look like they're swirling if you blink quickly.
  3. A black-and-white spiral appears to spin even though it's still.

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Categories: Art · optical illusion· visual perception· painting techniques