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Like many people, I enjoy watching people. There's a great pleasure in sitting in a café or on a park bench on a sunny afternoon and just watching people pass by. But increasingly, people-watching is becoming suspect, and even criminalised.

The latest and most worrying example is Transport for London's campaign against what it calls 'intrusive staring'. Posters all over the Tube now warn us: 'Intrusive staring is a form of sexual harassment and will not be tolerated.' Last month a man was sentenced to 22 weeks in prison after a woman reported him for 'continuously staring' at her on a train in Berkshire. Sarah White, leader of British Transport Police's sexual offences team, has urged anyone who feels intrusively stared at to report it.

But what exactly is 'intrusive staring'? Talking to representatives for both TfL and the British Transport Police, I discovered that there is no clear, objective definition. They say the line is crossed when a man looks at a woman in a sexual way that makes her feel 'unsafe' or 'uncomfortable'. Those who experience intrusive staring - or who witness such acts - are asked to report the incident to the police with the view of an arrest and prosecution under the Public Order Act. But how many seconds or minutes does it take to turn a look of curiosity into an intrusive stare? No one knows. And one woman's intrusive stare could be another's welcome invitation to romance.

Of course, everyone must surely support TfL's current campaign against such sexual acts of harassment as touching, upskirting, catcalling and indecent exposure. Yet the criminalisation of looking at other people in a public space is worrying. Of course nobody wants to defend men who stare at women's breasts with their tongues hanging out like panting dogs. Or men who deliberately set out to intimidate women with long and menacing stares.

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Like many people, I enjoy watching people. There's a great pleasure in sitting in a café or on a park bench on a sunny afternoon and just watching people pass by. But increasingly, people-watching is becoming suspect, and even criminalised.

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Rise in Tube passengers reported to police for 'intrusive staring' | ITV News

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Police are clamping down on intrusive staring on London Underground

A growing number of passengers are being reported to police for staring after a new campaign to crack down on inappropriate behaviour on London Underground.

The campaign by Transport for London aims to tackle sexual harassment faced by women and girls on the Tube such as upskirting and cat calling.

One of the behaviours being clamped down on is staring.

Posters stating 'intrusive staring of a sexual nature is sexual harassment and is not tolerated' have been appearing at London Underground stations all over the capital since the campaign was launched.

Posters warning of 'intrusive staring' have appeared on London Underground

Speaking to The Telegraph, Detective Inspector Sarah White, who leads the sexual offences team for British Transport Police, said that her team have already started receiving several reports of people who have been caught staring inappropriately.

The detective said: "It's human nature to stare at things. However, it's very different when someone is staring, leering, or there's a sexual motivation. We want to know about that staring because that is the behaviour that suggests to me that someone is thinking about a sexual behaviour that supports that staring.

When the anti-harassment campaign was first launched, TfL said: "Sexual harassment is a form of violence, most often directed against women and girls in public places. The safety of women and girls is an absolute priority for TfL and this new campaign is one element of TfL's work to ensure everyone can travel with confidence."The campaign aims to challenge the normalisation and dismissal of this behaviour as 'something that happens' to women and girls on public transport and in other public spaces, making it clear that it is never acceptable and that the strongest possible action will always be taken."

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Rise in Tube passengers reported to police for 'intrusive staring' | ITV News

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A campaign by Transport for London aims to tackle sexual harassment faced by women and girls. | ITV News London

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Staring on public transport: 'His eyes were glued on me'

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A poster campaign has drawn attention to the issue of "intrusive staring" on public transport, warning travellers it can constitute sexual harassment. Those affected describe being watched by a stranger as a distressing experience.

Bex, from east London, was travelling home on the Tube from a night at the theatre when a man sitting opposite her began staring.

The stranger looked directly at her throughout the 10-minute journey, she says.

"I was on my phone trying to look anywhere but at him."

By the time she reached her stop, she had been made to feel so uncomfortable by his persistent staring that she waited until the last minute to stand up.

As she got off, he followed, so she decided to wait on the station concourse for five minutes before boarding her bus. He stood, less than a metre away, looking.

After several trains came and left without the man getting on, she "bolted" for the stairs.

"I turned around and he was just waving at me," she says.

Bex had initially worried she was "overreacting", but says that, ironically, one of the new anti-staring posters was placed right above where the man was sitting in the carriage.

"Seeing that made me feel, 'I have a right to feel comfortable'".

'Intentional harassment'

The campaign was launched nationwide last year by the Rail Delivery Group and British Transport Police (BTP), and later by Transport for London (TfL)

The posters cover a number of unwanted behaviours: catcalling, exposing body parts, inappropriate touching, upskirting, cyber flashing (the sending of sexual images), and staring.

In recent weeks the staring posters have been put into the spotlight after a man was jailed for staring at a woman on a train between Reading and Newbury, and blocking her exit.

He was found guilty of causing intentional harassment, alarm or distress - and was sentenced to 22 weeks in prison.

Staring is not illegal - but intrusive staring of a sexual nature that causes harassment, alarm or distress can be classed as a Public Order Offence.

On 22 April, British Transport Police tweeted that officers in north London had arrested a man who pressed himself against a woman on a train. They had been following the man because they noticed he was "closely watching" female passengers.

Research commissioned by TfL showed intrusive staring is one of the most common types of unwanted sexual behaviour experienced mainly, but not exclusively, by women.

Lucy Thorburn, from Manchester, was on a train in central London around 09:00 in the morning when she experienced unwanted and intrusive staring.

She says for the duration of her 25-minute journey a man had his "eyes glued on [her]".

"After 10 minutes I began to really feel uncomfortable. I thought maybe my music was loud so I turned it down. [But] I knew subconsciously it wasn't as the Tube was busy and he was the only one looking."

Lucy considered getting off, but had to make a connecting train. "Why should I leave because of him?" she asks.

"Staring might not seem 'that bad' to some, but it is the start of something... I have been stared at before and then it has led to being followed."

Dr Fiona Vera-Gray from London Metropolitan University's Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit, says intrusive staring has come up in her work as a subtle form of "public sexual harassment".

"It is that sense of being under surveillance, watched, evaluated - but also it's an experience of dehumanisation.

"It creates a form of bodily self-consciousness, where women have spoken about suddenly feeling incredibly aware of how they are sitting, what their face is doing, how their hands are, how they're walking - feeling acutely aware of themselves in the world."

Bex says there is a clear difference "between someone [who is] people-watching and somebody looking and staring at you".

Jamie Klingler of Reclaim These Streets agrees: "We've all been caught admiring someone's shoes or outfit... but it is the act of staring with intent, which makes [a victim] want to change [their] behaviour, that the posters are trying to tackle."

The University of Kent's Dr Afroditi Pina says the fact staring "can cause such deep anxiety and fear should be enough for [those watching others] to wish to abstain from doing it".

A British Transport Police spokesperson said it was a priority to "drive out" all forms of sexual harassment on the train network, and that all reported incidents would be recorded to help build a picture of offending behaviour.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

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Staring on public transport: 'His eyes were glued on me'

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A poster campaign has drawn attention to the issue of "intrusive staring" on public transport, warning travellers it can constitute sexual harassment. Those affected describe being watched by a stranger as a distressing experience. Bex, from east London, was travelling home on the Tube from a night at the theatre when a man sitting opposite her began staring.

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Posters warning against ‘intrusive staring’ are put up on the Tube

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Posters warning against ‘intrusive staring’ are put up on the Tube

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Should Staring Be a Crime? Tube Posters Warning Against ‘Intrusive Staring' Sparks Debate | GMB

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Should Staring Be a Crime? Tube Posters Warning Against ‘Intrusive Staring' Sparks Debate | GMB

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look fixedly or vacantly at someone or something with one's eyes wide open.

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look fixedly or vacantly at someone or something with one's eyes wide open.

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Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

gaze

gawk

peer

gape

glare

gawp

watch

leer

peruse

stare down

observe

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

glimpse

glance

scan

peek

browse

peep

dip (into)

wink (at)

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Reference

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special composition (for example: eyeball)

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Reference

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Reference

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Understanding the Compulsive Staring OCD

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Understanding the Compulsive Staring OCD

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Leering & Sexual Gestures at Work | Harassment Attorneys Los Angeles

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Website about the PROTECTING EMPLOYEES FROM LEERING, SEXUAL GESTURES AND STARING IN THE WORKPLACE

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Website about the PROTECTING EMPLOYEES FROM LEERING, SEXUAL GESTURES AND STARING IN THE WORKPLACE

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At The Ruttenberg Law Firm, PC, we represent clients who’ve been subjected to all types of physically harassing conduct:

Leering and staring suggestively

Looking a co-worker up and down suggestively

Making lewd gestures or obscene, suggestive body movements

Impeding or blocking movements, even without touching, or standing too close

Following co-workers around

Wolf whistles and catca

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Leering & Sexual Gestures at Work | Harassment Attorneys Los Angeles

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The experienced attorneys at The Ruttenberg Law Firm, PC protect California employees from leering, sexual gestures and staring in the workplace.

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Compulsive Staring OCD | Better Living Center for Behavioral Health

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Compulsive Staring OCD: A lesser-known subtype of OCDFor Providers

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Compulsive Staring OCD: A lesser-known subtype of OCDFor Providers

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While many people are familiar with the most common form of OCD, washing and cleaning compulsions, other subtypes of OCD may be less well-known, such as compulsive staring. The hallmark symptom of compulsive staring OCD is the excessive, intrusive thoughts or urges to stare at others in inappropriate or uncomfortable ways, especially strangers on the street or in public places.

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Better Living Center for Behavioral Health

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While many people are familiar with the most common form of OCD, washing and cleaning compulsions, other subtypes of OCD may be less well-known, such as compulsive staring. The hallmark symptom of compulsive staring OCD is the excessive, intrusive thoughts or urges to stare at others in inappropriate or uncomfortable ways, especially strangers on the street or in public places.

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Compulsive Staring OCD | Better Living Center for Behavioral Health

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While many people are familiar with the most common form of OCD, washing and cleaning compulsions, other subtypes of OCD may be less well-known, such as compulsive staring. The hallmark symptom of compulsive staring OCD is the excessive, intrusive thoughts or urges to stare at others in inappropriate or uncomfortable ways, especially strangers on the street or in public places.

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Online discussion of the staring （the opinion from online）

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Online discussion of the staring （the opinion from online）

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Just Ignore them. Adopt a neutral facial expression and continue with what you are doing. I avoid fights as much as possible. Aggressive stares are done by Bullies and I dont react to those types of people. It sucks and makes me look like a wimp, but what choice do I have? I’ve been reprimanded for fighting before and want to live a peaceful life. IF, however, they go physical on me, I have all the more reason to cream them.😊

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The concept about the feeling of someone staring at you

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The concept about the feeling of someone staring at you

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If you’ve ever felt like someone was watching you, you may have attributed that awareness to a sense of unease or a prickling on the back of your neck. But there’s nothing psychic about it; your brain was simply picking up on cues. In fact, your brain is wired to inform you that someone is looking at you — even when they’re not.
We evolved to be this sensitive to gaze to survive. Why? Because every look someone throws your way is a potential threat.

Clifford tested this by asking study participants to indicate where various faces were looking. He found that when people couldn’t determine the direction of a gaze — because of dark conditions or the faces were wearing sunglasses — people typically thought they were being watched.

He concluded that in situations where we’re not certain where a person is looking, our brain informs us that we’re being watched — just in case there's a potential interaction.

“A direct gaze can signal dominance or a threat, and if you perceive something as a threat, you would not want to miss it,” Clifford said. “So simply assuming another person is looking at you may be the safest strategy.”

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Why is it you can sense when someone's staring at you?

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a larger sclera allows us to notice the direction of each other’s gaze quickly. evaluate the direction of their attention through our peripheral vision

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a larger sclera allows us to notice the direction of each other’s gaze quickly. evaluate the direction of their attention through our peripheral vision

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Say you’re engrossed in a task, scrolling through your phone or reading a book. Suddenly that creepy, prickly feeling grabs hold of you. Someone’s staring. You turn to find out who it is. Be they friend or foe, the feeling itself seems like an eerie sort of 6th sense. It’s also a necessary part of being human, an adaptation that kept our ancestors alive. So how is it that we can even do this? It’s actually an important feature of our sight, our brain, and certain social aspects of our species.
Another reason, if you look at human eyes in contrast to other animals, the sclera or white part surrounding the pupil is far larger. In most other species, the pupil takes up most of the eye. This is to obscure their eyes from predators. But for humans, a larger sclera allows us to notice the direction of each other’s gaze quickly.
Another answer could be confirmation bias. We remember only the times we turned around and someone was staring (or appeared to be), and not the times they weren’t. And that weird, tingly sensation? It’s psychological and emanates from the thought of being stared at, not the physical act itself.

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Say you're engrossed in a task, scrolling through your phone or reading a book. Suddenly that creepy, prickly feeling grabs hold of you. Someone's staring. You turn to find out who it is. Be they friend or foe, the feeling itself seems like an eerie sort of 6th sense. It's also a necessary part of being human, an adaptation that kept our ancestors alive. So how is it that we can even do this? It's actually an important feature of our sight, our brain, and certain social aspects of our species.

The biological phenomenon is known as "gaze detection" or "gaze perception." Neurological studies have found that the brain cells that initiate this response are very precise. If someone turns their gaze off of you by turning just a few degrees to their left or right, that eerie feeling quickly fades. Scientists suggest that a complex neural network is behind gaze detection.

So far, the neural network responsible in humans remain unidentified. A study with macaque monkeys however, discovered the neurological circuits responsible for their gaze detection, even getting down to the specific cells involved.

We do know that ten distinct brain regions are involved with human sight, and there may be more. The visual cortex is the main contributor. This is a large area at the back of the brain, which supports many important aspects of sight. But other areas, such as the amygdala, which registers threats, must also be involved with gaze detection somehow.

Humans are sensitive to the gaze of others. When another person changes the direction of their attention, we automatically follow their gaze. It's more than just being predators, who as a group are naturally sensitive and drawn toward changes in the environment. It also has to do with the cooperative and social nature of humans and how we've depended on one another throughout our history and development.
The visual cortex. By Coxer, Wikimedia Commons.
Another reason, if you look at human eyes in contrast to other animals, the sclera or white part surrounding the pupil is far larger. In most other species, the pupil takes up most of the eye. This is to obscure their eyes from predators. But for humans, a larger sclera allows us to notice the direction of each other's gaze quickly.

Of course, we don't have to be looking directly at someone to tell whether or not they're staring at us. We can also evaluate the direction of their attention through our peripheral vision. But this method is much less accurate. A pair of studies finds that we can only accurately detect whether or not someone is staring at us within four degrees of our "central fixation point."

It isn't always about seeing another's eyes. With our peripheral vision, we consider the position of their head. And other clues such as how their body is positioned lend to whether we think they're looking at us or not. What if we're not sure? Just to be safe, the brain errs on the side of caution. It assumes we're being stared at, if there's any doubt.

So what about when we feel someone staring from behind? According to a 2013 study published in the journal Current Biology, that's just a fail-safe. Humans are hardwired to think that someone is starting at us when we can't see them, even if we have no evidence to suggest so.
We're hardwired to assume someone is staring from behind. Getty Images.
Psychology Professor Colin Clifford of the University of Sydney's Vision Centre, found that when people can't tell where a person is looking, they automatically assume they're looking at them. "A direct gaze can signal dominance or a threat, and if you perceive something as a threat, you would not want to miss it," he said. "So simply assuming another person is looking at you may be the safest strategy."

Looking at someone is also a social cue. It usually means you want to talk to them. Since it's our natural inclination to assume someone behind us is staring, the feeling we get may initiate a self-fulfilling prophecy. When we turn around, our action calls up the other person's gaze. But when they meet our eyes, they give us the impression that they've been staring the whole time.

Another answer could be confirmation bias. We remember only the times we turned around and someone was staring (or appeared to be), and not the times they weren't. And that weird, tingly sensation? It's psychological and emanates from the thought of being stared at, not the physical act itself.

To learn more, click here:

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Why is it you can sense when someone's staring at you?

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Say you're engrossed in a task, scrolling through your phone or reading a book. Suddenly that creepy, prickly feeling grabs hold of you. Someone's staring. You turn to find out who it is. Be they friend or foe, the feeling itself seems like an eerie sort of 6th sense.

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The online discussion about the sense when someone is staring at you?

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The online discussion about the sense when someone is staring at you?

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Is it rude to stare at someone without saying anything or doing anything else?

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Some interesting opinion

I find a lot of times it’s them being rude. I am very good at reading into people and can pick up some kind of diabolical nature about them. People will stare and judge, which makes them look ridiculous because all they can do is assume things about you without even knowing the truth. I find the best way to handle it is not even look at people if you can help it. All their ignorance is going to do is piss you off. They want to continue to stare and act like children, let them. Their behavior is on them not me.

Yes. It makes others uncomfortable and it will make some people want to leave the area. The definition of rude is to commit an action that alienated another person. Whether it’s what you say, your tone of voice, or a physical action. Staring counts. It’s not something you do here. You might glance or smile but you don’t blatently stare.

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Is it rude to stare at someone without saying anything or doing anything else?

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Answer (1 of 2): Yes, it can be considered rude to stare at someone without saying anything or doing anything else, especially if it is prolonged and makes the other person uncomfortable. Staring can be interpreted as an invasion of personal space or a lack of respect for the other person’s priva…

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How do you explain "feeling" when someone is staring at you?

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How do you explain "feeling" when someone is staring at you?

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How do you explain "feeling" when someone is staring at you?

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Online discussion some answers from female
1. People looks at me all the time when im out , so im kinda used to it , sometimes it gets weird if they keeps looking or trying to look through my boobs , or when they are making weird sexual signals with their faces

2. You can’t describe it.

Really, I’ve been trying to find the word to describe the feeling and I can’t. It is just too hard to explain. You can literally feel someone’s look on you to the point where the closest I could find to describe is like someone is trying to get into your soul. Literally. If someone stares at me, I can feel that. It is absolutely impossible to describe that feeling.

3. Oh. this is…

strange.

Why are they staring at you? is something wrong?

Or do they want something you?

To tell you something?

Or something bad?

Oh this is really awkward.

Starts with strange sensation, surprise, and then a sense of apprehension.

That is the best I can describe the feeling of being stared at.

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How do you explain "feeling" when someone is staring at you?

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Answer (1 of 36): I might feel a bit weird. I mean, I could ask them why, and they might answer why. Sometimes people can be weird, though they're not always weird. :)

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Story Setting: In a surreal narrative, I try to exaggerate the likelihood of harassment against women. In this world, to circumvent physical harassment, women don a special clothes resembling a transparent protective layer. （This setting aims to satirize societal demands for women to alter themselves to avoid harassment.）

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the concept of the clothes
The size of book
The page
How to show the transparent
The storyline

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Story Summary:

The protagonist, a woman shrouded in a transparent protective clothes, steps into the underground—（The reason for choosing underground as the setting for the story is based on research indicating that public yet enclosed spaces are the most prone to incidents of sexual harassment. ）Upon entering, she immediately becomes the target of unwelcome stares. Trying to ignore the unsettling gaze by engrossing herself in her phone, she still feels her personal space being invaded and discomfort swelling within her. The transparent clothes, meant to shield her, seems to shrink under the invisible pressure of those invasive stares, eventually clinging tightly to her body. The woman, now encased as if vacuum-sealed, symbolizes the objectification women endure under such scrutinizing eyes.

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scan 400/600
size

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Using Transparent paper  as a filter to adding the dark

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the research plan

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Just like when I've been catcalled or groped in a bar, being stared at suggestively or threateningly in public has made me feel dirty, naked - like I've done something wrong by merely existing. It makes me question myself - the way I look, the way I hold myself, the way I live. It makes me feel unsafe.

To discourage accountability for sexual harassment - and yes, I shall stress again, intrusive staring with sexual intent counts as such - is to take even more power from women and other vulnerable groups as they try to make their way through daily life.

Sexual harassment is defined by Rape Crisis England & Wales as "unwanted sexual behaviour that makes someone feel upset, scared, offended or humiliated". Staring, leering or suggestive looks are all considered as examples of sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment doesn't begin and end with words and attempted groping. It is a spectrum, like so many forms of abuse.

Further to this, the organisation states that the person being subjected to this behaviour should be the one defining what is happening to them, but it seems others are looking to take it into their own hands.

We saw this within a different public discussion of sexual harassment when it was announced earlier last year that cyberflashing - sending an unsolicited sexual image to somebody digitally, over Airdrop or WhatsApp for instance - is set to become a criminal offence. Some have criticised this development, questioning if it should be made illegal.

One critic posted on Twitter: "Have the people behind the Online Harms Bill never been on dating apps? People sending pics of their bits without asking first is grim, but to be made illegal? Really?"

What critics miss when questioning the seriousness of issues like cyberflashing and unsolicited (and threatening) staring in public is that sexual harassment is not limited to catcalling in the street through words, and groping in bars. If an action isn't asked for and causes someone considerable distress, why shouldn't it be punishable?

To deny facets of sexual harassment like this their significance is - like so many elements of the patriarchy - putting the responsibility on the vulnerable, and potential victims, to do the work of explaining and distinguishing inappropriate behaviour, instead of those who are actually performing said behaviour.

It signifies a lack of empathy at other people's discomfort and their boundaries.

We shouldn't have to wait for voices to be raised or for bodies to be groped before we take action. To be told to accept this kind of behaviour is to give potential abusers - or at the least complete strangers - unwanted access, a claim to your safety and security that they do not deserve.

Although certain "casual" actions may appear to be vague, ambiguous or unworthy of criminal charges to those in a position of male privilege and power, they could be the deciding factor for whether someone more vulnerable feels safe. It's time for us all to stare this threat full in the face.

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Every single woman has experienced intrusive staring from a man. We can assure you that it is a form of sexual harassment

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London mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport For London have stated that unwanted staring will not be tolerated with new campaign posters.

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1.Firstly, staring commonly occurs in public settings such as train carriages, bus stops, elevators, gyms, etc., where strangers' social boundaries are frequently breached.

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2.Staring often induces feelings of pressure, discomfort, unease and  self doubt particularly among women

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3.Despite experiencing this form of harassment, many individuals remain uncertain whether it constitutes sexual harassment.

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I found that staring can make people feel uneasy and anxious. Different cultures have different views on staring, influenced by factors like age and social norms. Legally, while staring might not always be considered harassment, it can still invade someone's privacy. This study helped me understand the complexities of staring and inspired me to explore it further.

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What is it about art that intrigues a viewer and keeps his or her attention? Is it the colors? The medium? The brushstrokes? Is it that the subject is beautiful or enigmatic? Inevitably, all of those elements draw the viewer in, but what holds a person's attention? In many cases, the gaze is what pulls in and grips the viewer. The subject's eyes are what makes the viewer feel something.

The gaze in portraiture has been studied and discussed extensively. The way that the artist chooses to capture the gaze can dramatically change how a viewer perceives the work and the person depicted in the portrait. Imagine, for example, if Leonardo da Vinci had painted the Mona Lisa gazing off to the side, away from the viewer. Would she still be as well-known and as captivating four centuries later?

Choosing where the subject looks is a powerful way for an artist to shape the public's interpretation of a piece. Artists also use the gaze to deliver a message about the subject. Will the subject look at the viewer softly, with intensity, or not at all? And what does that say about the subject, the group, or the era that he or she represents? In this article, we'll examine the impact of the gaze and how it affects the viewer of the piece.

Oscillation of The Gaze

Ultimately, artists have control over their subject's gaze. However, there is a clear pattern of what has been en vogue for different generations of artists. There are clear periods when a cohort of artists depict their subjects with a direct, penetrating gaze.

Other times, artists capture the essence of their time and the culture by painting subjects with demure or shy looks, eyes directed away from the painter. Society's opinion of groups of people and the overarching morals of the era impact how artists paint their subjects.

The Scientific Impact of The Gaze

Recently, researchers in the Czech Republic studied the neuronal and behavioral responses of viewers to paintings where the subject looks directly at the public. The researchers found that people spent more time observing and studying portraits in which the subject looked directly at them.

What is it about the gaze that captures observers?

In their study, the researchers discovered that when looking at a painting with a direct gaze, the viewer's brains would activate similarly to when a person is being observed by another living person. The power of the gaze in portraiture is so strong that it can affect humans as deeply as if the subject of the portrait were actually staring back at them.

The Power of The Gaze

Portraits are intimate. As viewers, we can feel as if we're intruding on a moment between the artist and subject, or between the subject and the recipient of the painting. But what if that's the point? Philip Hensher of The Guardian asserts that, in some cases, intrusion into the intimate may be the exact purpose of a piece.

What if the artist is using the gaze to draw you into a moment or scene in which you would not otherwise participate? What if the entire purpose of the painting is to envelop the viewer in an intimacy that would not normally be possible?

The joy of interpreting a painting is trying to imagine what the subject's expression means and for whom it was intended. The detective work of taking in a painting could be the single most captivating thing about portraiture. It may be the reason why, for so long, humans have tried to capture our own likeness or the likeness of others. We're captivated by one another and the way in which others live their lives.

Portraiture has a captivating, beautiful way of letting the viewer in on intimate moments through the subject's gaze. One of the most intriguing aspects of the gaze is its circular nature. When the artist and the subject are locked in a perpetual stare, the viewer begins to wonder who was really observing whom?

Art Should Make You Feel Something

No matter the direction of the gaze or the expression behind it, art makes you feel something, which is the entire purpose, isn't it? No matter where the subject of a portrait directs his or her gaze, the expression captures something innately human and relatable, which might just be the artist's express purpose.
If you have a vision that can only be served by a fine art painting, then the right time to commission a piece is now. Request more information on commissioning a fine art portrait from ., or give us a call at 1-800-476-1223 today.

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The Power of the Gaze: How Artists Evoke Emotion Through the Eyes

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What is it about art that intrigues a viewer and keeps his or her attention? Is it the colors? The medium? The brushstrokes? Is it that the subject is beautiful or enigmatic? Inevitably, all of those elements draw the viewer in, but what holds a person's attention?

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Shop for staring wall art from the Conde Nast collection of magazine covers and editorial photos. All staring artwork ships within 48 hours and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. Choose your favorite staring designs and purchase them as wall art, home decor, phone cases, tote bags, and more!