Abstract
THE illusion of the Gothic arch in NATURE (vol. xlvii. p. 31) is too good to have a rival, but simple Norman arches occasionally practise a deception of some subtlety. In certain cases they seem to be of the Moorish horse-shoe form; this happens when the semicircle does not spring at once from the capitals of the Norman columns, but has a short intervening vertical space of masonry. Architects are familiar with the effect, and call these arches stilted; they say the stilts are commonly vertical, although Norman walls have no doubt sometimes fallen away from the upright course. I suppose the eye is quick enough to perceive that there is more than a semicircle, while the mind is gullible enough to infer that the curvature is continued. In Winchester Cathedral there are some good illustrations of this appearance.
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
CROFT, W. Optical Illusions. Nature 47, 78 (1892). https://doi.org/10.1038/047078b0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/047078b0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.