Ticino Village Optical Illusion

From the style and motive used in this painting, I presume it was created by famous Sandro Del Prete. It depicts a passageway in Ticino, southernmost canton of Switzerland, which by the way is the only canton where Italian is the sole official language.

I like this one because it’s plain simple, and doesn’t favor none of the two illusory motives it holds. That being said, can you easily switch between old man’s profile and two of the Ticino people? Usually these kind of illusions struggle to push intended (illusory) motive to the front, while the other one is then too much blended with the background, thus making it much harder to see. I find it masterful when both motives have the same weight instead of when artists try to force the illusion!

BTW, how many of you noticed that we surpassed the 100 MILLION VISITOR milestone? I believe we are one of the rare webs that still use the counter (see footer). I’m aware there is zero chance that 100 million different people saw our website, yet makes you wonder how popular we became since our beginning. Enjoy another fine illusion brought to you by Mighty Optical Illusions!

26 Replies to “Ticino Village Optical Illusion”

  1. Looks like a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there. I don’t want to be just part of the scenery.

  2. This reminds me of the illusion of the two faces/candlestick picture that was in every high school psychology text book. They tried to tell us that no one could see both at the same time. It seems laughable now, but back then they were dead serious. WTF!!!

  3. I do like that – with both images competing for my attention at the same time.

    Congratulations on the 100 million milestone, Vurdlak! I’m glad to be part of that. Hope you keep up the entertainment and education – best wishes for the second hundred million!

  4. Wow, that is very balanced. probably the best one of this type I’ve ever seen! And not to be a stickler, but “dosn’t favor none”? Haha… that’s a pretty obvious mistake :) but cool illusion

  5. Congratulations! I’m constantly amazed that you can come up with something new every day.
    Like this illusion, I could see the man but my eyes kept wanting to change him into the profile, the woman was easier for me to see in both ways.

  6. Nice. The old man is a bit favored to me. I guess that is because some of the old man aspects aren’t clear in the two people picture. Like the linings above his eye, or his hair (hay?) sticking out, defying gravity.

    That’s why, I guess, I can’t see the two people without still seeing the old guys head.

  7. This is great but it appears to me there are four people.–The man holding a rake, the woman with a bundle of hay on her back, a bald headed man and a shaggy haired old man that is hard to see made from the girl.

  8. Honestly, I had a lot of difficulty seeing the two people. Despite knowing they were there (because a head was too easy), I had to force myself to see them.

  9. Sandro Del-Prete has a book that I’m sure you, Vurdlak, and other visitors would like to read, The Master of Illusions. I’m pretty this would be a great way to expand your gallery (you may want to email him about using the illustrations, if you haven’t already). The book is the reason I found this site, after I looked up optical illusions online after reading it.

  10. Congrats on the 1 million visitors Vurdlak.
    Loved this illusion, and I think there might be another similar illusion with the lady carrying the hay. If you focus a bit, she looks like an old crone.

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