Engineer’s Nightmare by Jos Leys

Impossible 27 August 2012 0 Comments

Engineer's Nightmare by Jos Leys

To call this stairway construction an engineer’s nightmare would be an understatement.    Start on the pathway at the bottom and climb down the stairs.  As you do so, you actually are moving up the building.  Be thankful that you are not the person tasked with constructing this bizarre series of stairs. To see more impossible […]

Pool by David Macdonald

Impossible 23 August 2012 0 Comments

Pool by David Macdonald

“Pool”, by David Macdonald, features a man in the center of the image who appears to be climbing down a ladder.  (I suppose he could be climbing up, but since he is looking down, that is probably the direction that he is headed.  Either way, the illusion is the same!)  The top and the bottom […]

Impossible Windows

Impossible 9 August 2012 0 Comments

Impossible Window 1

Oscar Reutersvärd drew many impossible figures during his lifetime.  These figures and drawings have inspired many artists in the past and will continue to do so for quite some time.  The following example of one of Reutersvärd’s “impossible windows” was created by Catherine Leah Palmer. Two additional examples of impossible windows can be viewed by […]

Impossible Stairs by Andreas Aronsson

Impossible 3 August 2012 0 Comments

Impossible Stairs by Andreas Aronsson

If you tried to walk up or down these stairs to get to the top or the bottom, you would find yourself walking for a very long time. This is a variation of the Penrose Stairs created by Lionel and Roger Penrose in 1959. More of Andreas Aronsson’s impossible figures can be viewed on his […]

Impossible (and Crazy) Tennis

Impossible 18 July 2012 0 Comments

This Side Up Tennis by Michael Kai

Take a quick look at the scene below.  Does something seem strange or awkward about it?  The tennis players are normal (i.e., right-side-up), but the rest of the scene has somehow been inverted.  The court and people on the perimeter of the image are upside-down.  This image can be hard to look at as your […]

The Engineer (Primary School) by David Macdonald

Impossible 16 July 2012 1 Comment

The Engineer (Primary School) by David Macdonald

David Macdonald created this LEGO version of the Penrose triangle (or impossible triangle) using 2D drawing and painting software. This work may not be as popular as his Terrace image, but it is always nice to see new interpretations of old illusions.

Impossible Interlocking Triangles by Monika Buch

Impossible 27 June 2012 0 Comments

Impossible Interlocking Triangles by Monika Buch

Impossible triangles, also known as Penrose triangles, have been featured on this site in the past.  The truth is, no optical illusion website would be complete without them since they represent a classic illusion that most people instantly recognize and appreciate.  Today’s illusion is a painting by artist Monika Buch featuring three impossible triangles that […]