Ubiquitous gaze, also referred to as pursuing eyes, is an art term for the effect created by certain portraits, such as the Mona Lisa, which give the impression that the subject's eyes are following the viewer. When such a painting is viewed from any angle, the subject's eyes still appear to be looking straight into the viewer's. This is an effect of perspective and may be deliberate or not.
Ubiquitous gaze is a common technique of the trompe-l'œil school of painting, and can be seen in numerous works.
Famous quotes containing the word gaze:
“A blind man. I can stare at him
ashamed, shameless. Or does he know it?
No, he is in a great solitude.
O, strange joy,
to gaze my fill at a stranger’s face.
No, my thirst is greater than before.”
—Denise Levertov (b. 1923)