Andrea Pozzo’s masterpiece of religious art, Triumph and Apotheosis of Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1691-1694), is a large ceiling fresco that depicts numerous religious figures, including the Holy Trinity and Saint Ignatius. Pozzo utilizes foreshortening, an optical illusion technique, that causes an object or distance to appear shorter or closer than it actually is. This technique is what gives the piece depth and makes the audience think that they are looking into the Heavens themselves. Pozzo managed to turn a flat surface into a round dome and impart a sense of physical, and therefore mental, order. This type of foreshortening is not an easy concept to display. It takes great detail and perception in order to create this type of effect.
