Penrose triangle
Oscar Reutersvärd; independently Lionel & Roger Penrose
Three convincing corners. One impossible connection.
Impossible objects / 2001 photograph
Andrus’s nuts and bolts
An arrangement of real nuts and bolts looks impossible from its chosen view.
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
Sgerbic
Original file & attribution · CC BY-SA 3.0
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Download imageFrequently asked questions
What is Andrus’s nuts and bolts?
An arrangement of real nuts and bolts looks impossible from its chosen view.
What should I look for in Andrus’s nuts and bolts?
View larger, then trace one connected edge all the way through the object. Compare the local joins with the whole shape.
What explains Andrus’s nuts and bolts?
The illusion depends on how separate real pieces line up in the photograph. A convincing image does not require the apparent impossible connection to exist physically.
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.
