Charming ‘New Yorker’ Cover Springs A Sneaky Optical Illusion Of A Surprise
By Mikelle Leow, 09 Apr 2024
Image via The New Yorker
Spring has sprung, or perhaps more aptly, crept up. Capturing the vibrancy and new life of the season is the cover of The New Yorker’s lovely April 15 issue by cartoonist Peter de Sève. It’s not all chirpy, however. The whimsical illustration, titled Undercover, invites viewers to play a game of visual hide-and-seek.
De Sève depicted the time of new possibilities with bluebirds and mourning doves, among other feathered friends, flitting around blossoming branches. Some are make-believe species, too.
But wait, what’s that peeking out? Stare closer and you’ll find a cunning feline figure camouflaged among the foliage.
Commenting on the playful deception, de Sève, who originally gave the artwork the simple name of Cat, shares, “Creating an image that requires the viewer to be engaged with it in the same way they interact with a puzzle is always rewarding.”
[via The New Yorker]