Penrose triangle
Oscar Reutersvärd; independently Lionel & Roger Penrose
Three convincing corners. One impossible connection.
Impossible objects / 2014 drawing
Impossible frame
A rectangular frame joins plausible corners into a contradictory whole.
TRY THIS
View larger, then trace one connected edge all the way through the object. Compare the local joins with the whole shape.
THE IMAGE IN THIS ARCHIVE
Nevit Dilmen
Original file & attribution · CC BY-SA 3.0
Original image downloaded from Wikimedia Commons; the downloaded file is unchanged. Gallery previews may be resized or converted to WebP; animated previews show the first frame.
Download imageFrequently asked questions
What is Impossible frame?
A rectangular frame joins plausible corners into a contradictory whole.
What should I look for in Impossible frame?
View larger, then trace one connected edge all the way through the object. Compare the local joins with the whole shape.
What explains Impossible frame?
Follow one beam around the frame. Its apparent depth relationships cannot stay consistent at every junction.
Another way to see it
Explore this category
Impossible cube
M. C. Escher; modern redraw by 4C and Belbury
A familiar cube frame acquires an impossible set of overlaps.
