Black Cat Optical Illusion

Leonardo da Vinci was perhaps the most universal genius of all time. He was an Italian draftsman, painter, sculptor, architect and engineer whose genius epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. One of his favorite maxims (often quoted by Steve Jobs) was:

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication

Todays picture isn’t something you should relate to Leonardo, yet the illusion is so simple, it makes you wonder how the unknown artist achieved such an extraordinary effect with nothing but mere letters. Look what happens if we rotate his “Black Cat” signature 90 degrees? With just two inverted “C’s” you get an impression black cat is staring at you! Spooky, isn’t it?

29 Replies to “Black Cat Optical Illusion”

  1. Fantastic! It always amazes me how things that are so simple can have such a magnificent effect.

  2. I’m ashamed to admit i didn’t notice the eyes until they were pointed out to me.
    although i don’t really care for you saying da Vinci was the greatest inventor, because as well as the fact that there could have been many other unrecognized geniuses that never got the chance to use their talents, like someone stuck as a farmer his whole life, “genius” is such an ambiguous term that nobody has really figured out the exact definition of it, and really has more to do with creativity than intelligence.
    long winded, but the illusion is excellent!

  3. Meh… we’re programmed to expect to see faces
    you know the form – you see part and fill in the rest
    Props to Leonardo though – great quote

  4. Is this really considered an optical illusion? Seems more like a graphic design gimmick, in my humble opinion.

  5. hei.. ahm actually i dont get it.. am I really that boo-boo brain? haha I’m so ashamed but honestly, I really cant get the impression of a black cat staring at me! Care to explain? thabnks

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *