Venus effect

[1] Viewers of such paintings have the impression that Venus is admiring her own reflection in the mirror.

[2] This line of research highlights that most people may hold beliefs that are inconsistent with observable phenomena.

This psychological effect is often used in the cinema, where an actor is shown apparently looking at themselves in the mirror.

The effect is seen with an animal apparently looking at itself in a mirror in The Lady and the Unicorn (French: La Dame à la licorne) tapestries, where the unicorn appears to be gazing at its own reflection as it kneels on the ground.

Bertamini et al. conducted additional studies and confirmed that the Venus effect also occurs with photographs, and in real life when the person and the mirror are seen in a room.