Illusion of Space by Vertical Location (37)

Vertical location is a spatial device in which elevation on the page or format indicates a recession into depth. Therefore, the higher an object, the further it is away from the front.


This is a painting by Edgar Degas of ballerinas. As the level of the floor rises, the further back the dancers become. This would also work if the floor level moved down. As the floor moved down, the dancers would still recede. By making the floor come up however, it looks as if the viewer is the person in the room with the ballerinas.