throughmirrorA different way of seeing
Chubb Illusion — The same central texture appears to have different contrast.
Look closely. Let the image settle.
Light & contrast / 1989

Chubb Illusion

The same central texture appears to have different contrast.

TRY THIS

Compare the contrast of the two central disks, then cover their surroundings.

FOLLOW THE SOURCES

History, evidence & image credit

THE IMAGE IN THIS ARCHIVE

w:User:EyesDude https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:EyesDude

Original file & attribution · CC BY-SA 3.0

This locally stored image is a Wikimedia Commons rendition (resized or rendered from the source file). The full original is linked from the source record. Gallery previews may be resized or converted to WebP; animated previews show the first frame.

Download image

Frequently asked questions

What is Chubb Illusion?

The same central texture appears to have different contrast.

What should I look for in Chubb Illusion?

Compare the contrast of the two central disks, then cover their surroundings.

What explains Chubb Illusion?

A high-contrast surround can make a central texture seem flatter than an identical texture against a uniform surround.

Another way to see it

Explore this category
Checkerboard and cylinder casting a shadow, with squares A and B labeled.

Checker shadow

Edward H. Adelson

Two squares. One shade of gray. A shadow changes everything.

Black square grid separated by intersecting white corridors.

Hermann grid

Ludimar Hermann

Ghostly gray spots appear where you are not looking.

White disks at gray grid intersections over black squares.

Scintillating grid

James R. Bergen; later Bernd & Elke Lingelbach, Michael Schrauf & E. R. Wist

Black dots flicker across a grid of white dots.

Chubb Illusion — The same central texture appears to have different contrast.

Chubb Illusion