Surely everyone has seen portraits that seem to follow you with their gaze as you move away. This strange phenomenon has captivated people’s attention for a long time, and it is quite difficult to explain. Those who are easily frightened may even find it spooky…
However, this secret is simply a type of visual illusion. The entire reason behind it is that the pupils in these portraits are positioned exactly in the center of the eyes. When a person looks directly at you, their face appears as such; but when that person looks elsewhere, you will notice that their pupils and irises shift slightly to the side.
When you move away from the portrait, the eyes of the depicted figure do not change their position; they remain fixed in the center of the eyes. Because, aside from this reason, the rest of the face you continue to observe remains in its original position, you naturally get the impression that the portrait has turned its head to follow you.
This same explanation can be applied to similar features in a painting: a horse charging straight towards us, no matter which direction we move away from the painting; a person always pointing at us because their outstretched hand is consistently directed towards us…
The image above is an example of such a case. These types of paintings are often used as propaganda posters or advertisements.
