Droste effect facts for kids
The Droste Effect is a cool visual trick. It happens when a picture shows a smaller version of itself inside it. Then, that smaller picture shows an even tinier version of itself, and so on! It's like looking into a mirror that reflects another mirror. This effect got its name from an old advertisement.
In art, this idea is called mise en abyme. It's also a great example of recursion. Recursion means something that repeats itself over and over.
Contents
What is the Droste Effect?
The Droste Effect is a special kind of picture. It shows a smaller copy of the whole picture inside itself. This smaller copy then shows an even tinier copy, and so on. It creates a never-ending loop within the image.
Why it doesn't go on forever
Even though the idea of the Droste Effect is endless, in real life, it stops. This is because of how clear the picture is. As the image gets smaller, it loses detail. Soon, it becomes too tiny to see any more copies.
Each time the image repeats, it gets much smaller. This is like a geometric progression. It means things get smaller very quickly. So, you can usually only see a few repeats before they disappear.
Droste Effect and Fractals
The Droste Effect is a visual example of a strange loop. This is a system that refers back to itself. It's also a basic idea in fractal geometry. Fractals are shapes that look the same no matter how much you zoom in. The Droste Effect shows this idea in a fun way.
Images for kids
-
The original 1904 Droste cocoa tin, designed by Jan Musset (1861–1931)
-
Droste effect by image manipulation (using GIMP).
-
The early 14th century Stefaneschi Triptych. In the central panel is the kneeling figure of Cardinal Stefaneschi ...
-
... who is holding the triptych itself.
-
Judge cover, 19 January 1918
-
Liberty cover, 10 May 1924
-
Royal Baking Powder, early 20th century
-
A model replica of Bourton-on-the-Water village contains a model of the model village, with two more recursions.
See also
In Spanish: Efecto Droste para niños
