the venus effect

Venus at the Mirror, Peter Paul Ruben (c.1614–15)

The Venus effect is a phenomenon in the psychology of perception, named after various paintings of Venus gazing into a mirror. Viewers of such paintings assume that Venus is admiring her own reflection in the mirror; however, since the viewer sees her eyes in the mirror, Venus is actually looking at the reflection of the painter/image maker. 

The Lady and the Unicorn: Sight (c.late 15th Century)

Picture for Women, Jeff Wall (1979)