In some old horror movies, paintings have eyes that follow you around. That illusion is inspired by those artists who can make flat, two-dimensional paintings seem real.
For centuries, eyes have had a prominent role in art. In some ancient cases, that role was religious. More recently, artists have used shimmering eyes to make their paintings seem to come to life. Artists know that people feel they can “read” somebody by looking into his or her eyes, and that’s why eyes are the central focus of many portraits.
