*Art and Illusion* is the major scholarly work of the prominent 20th-century art historian Ernst Gombrich, now translated into Russian for the first time. A groundbreaking study for its time—first published in 1959—it remains as relevant today as ever. The question of mimesis, lifelikeness, and the relationship between reality and its artistic representation has occupied humanity since the dawn of time, with every era approaching it in its own unique way. The flip side of this issue is the role of the viewer: how they interpret an image and their ability to decipher the "cryptograms" embedded by the artist. Gombrich first touched upon these matters—which constitute some of the most enigmatic aspects of the creative process—in his *The Story of Art* (1950), the book that brought him worldwide renown. While only sketched out in that earlier work, these themes are explored in *Art and Illusion* through the lens of various theoretical disciplines, most notably psychology. Venturing into a realm filled with mysteries and sudden revelations, the author invites the reader to become a participant in a captivating expedition. And though it may be nothing more than an illusion, it is an exceptionally inspiring one. This book is intended for a broad audience interested in art, as well as for specialists and students in the field of art history and the visual arts.