anamorphic

Anamorphic, from Greek ana- meaning again or back and morphe meaning form, is a term used across optics, cinema, and art to describe distorted or non-proportional representations that reveal their intended form only when viewed from a specific angle or through a particular device. The concept covers both image projection methods and perceptual optical illusions.

In cinema and photography, anamorphic refers to a technique or lens system that compresses the horizontal dimension of an image onto a sensor or film frame, with the image later desqueezed for viewing. A common form uses a two-to-one horizontal squeeze, enabling widescreen formats such as 2.39:1 to be captured on standard 35mm film or digital sensors. The method yields distinctive aesthetics, including shallow depth of field and characteristic horizontal lens flares, and requires appropriate projection or post-production to restore the intended aspect ratio.

In visual art, anamorphosis describes a deliberate distortion of form that becomes legible only from a prescribed viewing position or via a reflecting surface such as a cylindrical mirror. Renaissance artists used this effect for dramatic or conceptual impact. The best-known example is Hans Holbein the Younger’s The Ambassadors, where a distorted skull appears correct only from the side or when viewed in a curved mirror.

Today, anamorphic processes appear in film, still photography, and digital art both as creative styling and as a practical means to achieve wide aspect ratios on particular formats. Contemporary practitioners may pursue the look optically or digitally, valuing the distinctive bokeh, perspective cues, and flare characteristics associated with anamorphics.