Abstract
To visually perceive a work of art, or for that matter any object, the brain needs information. This information enters the eye in the form of light. The eye’s optical system focuses this light, producing images of objects in our environment on the retina . Receptors in the retina convert light into electrical impulses that are carried to the brain along neural pathways. Perception of the external world occurs when electrical signals are processed in the brain. In the end, it’s the brain’s business to make sense of sensation.
Deceptions of the senses are the truths of perception.
—J. E. Purkinje, psychologist.
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Further Reading
Cole, K. C. (1978). Vision in the Eye of the Beholder. San Francisco, CA: Exploratorium.
Goldstein, E. B. (1989). Sensation and Perception. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.
Gregory, R. L. (1970). The Intelligent Eye. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Levine, M. W., & Shefner, J. M. (1991). Fundamentals of Sensation and Perception. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Luckiesh, M. (1965). Visual Illusions. New York: Dover Publications.
Rodgers, B. (2017). Perception: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Snowden, R., Thompson, P., & Troscianko, T. (2012) Basic Vision: An Introduction to Visual Perception (Revised Edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Solso, R. L. (1996). Cognition and the Visual Arts. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
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Glossary of Terms
- accelerated perspective
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A spatial configuration designed to suggest a distance or depth longer than the actual one.
- aerial perspective
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The depth cue that allows us to judge the distance of an object by the appearance of its color.
- ambiguous figure
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A picture that may be interpreted in two or more equally valid ways.
- chiaroscuro
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The use of light and shadow in painting.
- cognitive illusion
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A visual illusion that arises from information-processing mechanisms within the brain.
- distortion illusion
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A visual illusion in which lines or figures appear distorted due to context.
- figure-ground illusion
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An illusion in which two aspects of a drawing, both of equal stature, vie for attention.
- impossible figure
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Figures that lack internal consistency and do not represent actual physical objects.
- monocular cues
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Visual information that allows a person with one eye to perceive depth. Artists frequently use monocular cues to convey depth in drawing or painting.
- linear perspective
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A system for representing three-dimensional objects and space on a two-dimensional surface.
- physical illusion
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A visual illusion that results from physical phenomena outside the body.
- physiological illusion
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A visual illusion that is caused by the functioning of our visual sensory apparatus.
- size constancy
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The tendency to see the size of objects remaining constant as they move closer or farther away.
- stereopsis
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The ability of both eyes to see the same object as one image, resulting in a perception of depth.
- trompe l’oeil
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A style of painting in which objects are depicted with photographically realistic detail.
- visual disparity
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Two different views of the same scene resulting from binocular vision.
- visual illusion
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A situation in which visual perception leads to incorrect interpretation of reality.
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Rossing, T.D., Chiaverina, C.J. (2019). Visual Perception, Illusions, and the Arts. In: Light Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27103-9_14
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