De Artificiali Perspectiva, or Anamorphosis, 1991 | From the Vaults

In this dazzling short animation by the Brothers Quay, learn about the illusionistic technique known as anamorphosis, in which a hidden image only becomes visible when viewed from a different angle or in a curved mirror. The result of painterly experiments with perspective in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, anamorphosis remains one of most beguiling and obscure of visual tricks: “If anamorphosis is the art of delaying access to deeper meaning, then we must learn to wait for revelation.” As part of The Met’s 150th anniversary in 2020, each month we will release three to four films from the Museum’s extensive moving-image archive, which comprises over 1,500 films, both made and collected by the Museum, from the 1920s onward. This includes rarely seen artist profiles and documentaries, as well as process films about art-making techniques and behind-the-scenes footage of the Museum.