About Through Mirror
and the collection.
Through Mirror is a curated archive of optical illusions, the people who explored them, and the stories that made them famous.
A collection, still growing
The archive currently contains 211 entries, including images, audio and embedded demonstrations. It brings together geometric illusions, ambiguous figures, impossible objects, contrast effects, color effects, motion illusions, illusory contours, classical illusion paintings, fractal patterns, and camouflage in nature and human design.
There is no definitive list of “all famous illusions.” This collection is a researched starting point, rather than a claim of completeness. Fractals extend the archive into mathematical patterns; they are not necessarily optical illusions. Categories describe the viewing experience; some illusions fit several.
Architecture that changes what you see
The Architecture section follows eleven examples of painted space, forced perspective and reflection, beginning with Gozo Cathedral’s false dome. Each links to historical or project sources and explains the role of viewpoint. Locally stored photographs have individual credits; modern installation photography without established reuse terms remains linked to its source.
Camouflage in nature and human design
The Camouflage section explores background matching, disruptive patterns, plant disguise, self-decoration, changing skin and partial transparency. Human examples include ghillie suits, face paint, netting, false trees and dazzle ships. Each entry includes viewing prompts, research sources and individually credited local images.
Light, reflection and apparent presence
The Holography & tricky projections section begins with a chapter on optical holography, including transmission, reflection and rainbow holograms by Gary Fisher, Matthew Schreiber and Stephen Benton. A second chapter explains Pepper’s Ghost, infinity LED mirrors, Gorillaz with Musion Eyeliner, Madonna’s recorded appearance at the 2006 Grammys, and projection mapping trompe-l’œil. Original diagrams accompany viewing prompts and linked sources for the artworks and demonstrations. Diagram downloads are credited to Through Mirror under CC0 1.0.
Space that opens towards you
The Reverse perspective section compares Patrick Hughes’s Sticking-out Room and Real Reflections with Andrei Rublev’s The Trinity and David Hockney’s The Desk. A comparison diagram and viewing prompts distinguish physical depth inversion from inverse perspective and changing viewpoints in flat pictures. The Rublev reproduction is credited individually; the modern artworks link to source reproductions.
Geometry beyond intuition
The Strange objects section explores five mathematically consistent shapes, including the Möbius strip, K-dron, and Klein bottle. Original explanatory diagrams accompany practical experiments and linked sources. Each entry distinguishes objects we can build in three dimensions from surfaces and solids that need an extra dimension for a faithful representation.
Names are not always origins
A famous name can hide an earlier publication, an independent discovery, or a later redraw. Each entry distinguishes historical attribution from the creator of the image shown here. Uncertain dates and disputed credits are marked rather than presented as settled facts.
Sources you can follow
Entry pages link to research, original publications where accessible, museum collections, and specialist explanations. Michael Bach’s visual perception archive is a useful research guide; historical claims are checked against additional sources where possible.
Explanations describe the effect and relevant mechanisms. They do not imply that every illusion has a single, conclusively established explanation.
Images with their own stories
The M. C. Escher collection shows twelve museum reproductions beside explanations and viewing prompts. Each image has a source credit and download link; a ZIP includes all twelve files and their credits. Copyright remains with The M. C. Escher Company. His locally stored portrait has its own credit and license.
The original illustrated collection uses Wikimedia Commons images with reusable licenses or public domain status. Each detail page names the image creator, links to the file page and license, and offers a locally stored download. Most files are unchanged originals; selected large artworks use Commons size renditions, clearly identified on their detail pages. Later redrawings illustrate the phenomenon and are not passed off as historical originals.
Animated images wait for you to press Play. Their gallery previews are still frames. Large static images have separate resized WebP previews.
Image credits
200 entries with locally stored imagesCollection researched October 2026. Credits refer to the selected file versions; check the linked license before reusing an image.
Frequently asked questions
How are the collection’s explanations researched?
Entry pages link to historical publications, research, museum collections and specialist sources. Uncertain dates and attributions are identified, and the creator of a displayed image is distinguished from the originator of its subject.
Can I reuse images from Through Mirror?
Check the license and image credit on the individual entry before reusing an image. Article text, photographs, diagrams and game screenshots can have different terms; no single license applies to the entire collection.
Does the archive contain every optical illusion?
No. Through Mirror is a curated starting point with a growing collection. Categories organise the viewing experience, and some subjects could fit more than one category.