THOSE MOVING EYES

THOSE MOVING EYES...  

(Editor's Note:  All of us at one time or another, have called attention to portraits whose eyes appear to move. An anonymous docent tells us the reason for this phenomenon.)

THE EYES DO NOT FOLLOW YOU;

THE FOOT DOES NOT FOLLOW YOU;

NOT EVEN THE CHAIR!!!!!

Why do eyes or other parts of some paintings seem to move, following the viewer?  There are as many reasons given for this optical illusion as there are docents.

Too often, explanations rather than the art seem to become the primary focus of docents discussing Hyacinthe Rigaud's Portrait of Charles Gaspard Guillaume de Vintimille du Luc, Archbishop of Paris, and/or Henry Raeburn's Portrait of General Hay MacDowell.  Explanations range from "I don't know" to "because it's near the frontal plane."  Whatever reason is given, the result is that the viewer is often blocked from REALLY SEEING THE PAINTING.

Think about the fact that sculptures don't seem to "follow."  Why?  The nose is in the way!  In paintings, the artist has painted the image(s) on a flat surface which is always on view.  The image does not change from a frontal view to a 3/4 view to a side view as it would if you walked in front of a real person, foot, or chair which remained stationary.

It is a marvelous optical illusion, and probably artists have known about it from early times.  People who have not been told about the phenomenon have often noticed it on their own.  It heightens the "realistic" quality of certain paintings.

Real-life people will often follow you with their eyes or turn their head if you move when you are talking to them.  Paintings, however, do not move.  It is rather YOU who are following the eyes, feet, or chair.

(Further information on this subject can be found in Art and Illusion, by E. H. Gombrich)