Paradoxical Paint Job Illusion

I’m planning to visit Paris (France) in few days, so before we continue with illusion stuff I’d definitely like to hear if there are some Parisians among us. I’ll be staying at the hotel in the proximity of Eiffel tower. What would you recommend as most important checkpoints to visit? Beside the mainstream attractions, I’d also love to hear about some less known (but still important) “insider” stuff. Somehow I feel most comfortable when I know the rules of the city I’m visiting, respecting the traditions, and above all – I try to appear as much “local” as possible. So what would be your tips?

Concerning the illusion, it was created by an artist called Chow Hon Lan. It depicts somewhat puzzling situation these two workers found themselves in. It is for you to decide if there are really two guys present, or is it merely an illusion?

33 Replies to “Paradoxical Paint Job Illusion”

  1. wow its just a painting of 2 guys sticking wallpaper on the wall and pealing their shadows off!!!! actually its pretty random… :S

  2. Haha that reminds me of the way shaddows get burned into sidewalks and walls and stuff by the flash of an atomic bomb going off. (or more accurately everything around the shaded part gets burned to be lighter in color, and the shadow part just stays the same) pretty cool. though I don’t see much point to it :) there’s really nothing to get, just a guy the peeling of a shadow.

  3. I am French but not Parisian, sorry!

    Your question is quite wide… So many things to do, for every tastes.

    I like to visit the Louis Vuiton’s gallery (not the shop, which is on Champs Elysées). You have to find a small door just near the shop in the Bassano street. Then ask for the lift. A hostess will pick you up. The lift is complelty dark, you will be alone with her, the travel looks like an eternity! Then you arrive in an exhibition space, sometime very good, sometime less. http://www.louisvuitton.com/espaceculturel/

    There are also the catacombs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombs_of_Paris

    and so one…

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A8re_Lachaise_Cemetery

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18th_arrondissement_of_Paris

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13th_arrondissement_of_Paris

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_Saint_Martin

    http://www.museedelamagie.com/

    Well, hope it helps :)

    Jej

    1. You see how one worker is peeling a shadow off the wall? Does that mean that the guy who was supposedly making the shadow isn’t really there? Furthermore, is the other man’s shadow real, or is it and possibly him an illusion as well?

  4. I was at Paris a few years back, and I went to all the main attractions and loved it. I really think that (if you haven’t already) you should go the Palace of Versailles, the grounds there are magnificent and the palace itself is not far short of breathtaking. Hope you enjoy Paris!!

  5. If you are going to Arch de Triomphe make sure you go to the top. Fantastic view that is missed by many. You can spend days in the Louvre but at least visit the lower part that shows the original Castle.

  6. “It is for you to decide if there are really two guys present, or is it merely an illusion?”

    Neither. Just a poor drawing. Hoping for better illusions.

  7. Hi,
    As a parisian, I would suggest you some night walks along the Seine, near the “Pont 9”. (and “bateau mouche” too).

    And a little tip about how to behave in Paris as a tourist : I strongly suggest to try to speak french when starting a conversation, even if it’s awful, and if you switch to english after a few words. The point is just to show that an effort is made, which is much appreciated.

  8. no illusion, just two guys working in the same room on two different walls. one is peeling the other’s shadow, cool I guess in it’s own right. Got anything better? enjoy your trip.

  9. Hey, did you realise there is more than one Statue of Liberty in paris? There are lots – maybe go and see all of them – I only found 1 when I was there last year!

  10. Hi, on the subject of paris, we saw pictures of the statue of liberty so went looking for it, and found it on an island in the middle of the Seine. (didnt know there were more) We also did a series of photos off the top of the Arch de Triomphe. I’d recommend the croque monsieur in the cafe, at the liberty torch/Diana momorial. I’d also recommend the restaurants at the Trocadero (across the river from the eiffel tower)
    We did go in the Sacre-Coeur and climbed across the roof to get some great views.
    To get around we bought a 3 day travel card, but tended to walk everywhere. The walk from the Arche de Triomphe to the Louvre was great.

    Enjoy yourself. :)

  11. It’s obviously two vampires making fake shadows to disguise themselves as humans so that they can hunt down the enemy. Now their peeling them off just to remove the evidence.

  12. There’s more to it than that. The man on the left is wearing a one piece? The guy on the right has no feet. The guy on the left’s ladder is backwards. There are a few things to catch here and I doubt I got them all. Keep your eyes open and lemme know what I missed. ^_^

    1. Oh, also the man on the left’s shadow is not attached to him. It starts in the corner.

  13. theres only one guy because the other guy’s shadow is really just a silhouette (like a poster of a silhouette?) that is being peeled off the wall

  14. Many of you arent illusions lovers if you dont get this…its 2 workers….the one of the right is puting glue on the wall…but by doing that it seems that the shadow of the man on the left is falling off like it it was made of paper but is nothin than the man’s shadow on the right with the clue on top.

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