Illusion is produced in art by two kinds of artists, one who has great intelligence with the fine sense of art: the other whose mind is not clear, and who expresses in his art his own confusion. Therefore the former is the real illusionist; the latter may be taken for what he is not.

One kind of illusion is art is to show at first sight something quite different from what a second sight would suggest. This no doubt requires great skill, besides a gifted talent in art, in that side of art. In this particular side of art one can see many forms in one form. By looking from different sides, and sometimes from each side, quite a different picture is seen, each proving the skill of the artist. In this form of art no doubt skill is more pronounced than beauty.

An example of this may be seen in the Lion Gate of Mycenae. This represents "seek all power at the feet of God." The column represents the foot of God. The lions represent power. It also represents that God is all power, that all the powerful of the world receive their power from God. This means, God is all powerful, God is the source of all power, in God is centered all power. The four round marks at the head of the column signify the four directions, which means that the reign of God is everywhere. The two altars show that the power manifests in two aspects, although they are of One and the Same God; one aspect being might and the other being beauty.

The whole figure also shows a human head, the column being the nose, the altar the mouth, and the two heads (missing here) being the eyes. This represents that the all-powerful God is found in man, the true temple and altar of God.

There is another kind of illusion. It is to produce before the concentrated gaze a picture that appears as real, and this is a proof of the best gift in art.

There is a third kind of illusion, a suggestive art in which a suggestion is made of a certain idea or action, so that only the mind developed enough to comprehend it may know it, although to all others it stands as a picture. This no doubt requires an awakening mind with creative power, and in this the artist has an opportunity in the realm of art to convey his thought to others. The artists of ancient times were generally mystics, and they always expressed their thoughts concerning the law of life and nature, their imagination of heaven, in art.

There is a fourth kind of illusion, which is more mystical than a simple suggestive illusion. It is to picture thought or feeling, a character or a quality which is of the abstract. It is like putting into form and color what is much beyond it. However, this art cannot be a common language. It is a language which no one understands better than its inventor, and yet it is beyond the capacity of the ordinary mind to picture the abstract. In this way there are many who try to picture music or thought-forms or emotions. No doubt this kind of art may easily lead an artist to mystify people with meaningless forms and colors of his fantasy, though in every case it must prove to be an advanced adventure on the part of the artist.

The most important aspect of illusion in art is symbology. Symbology is a language of art. It does not mean something to the artist only, but it is known to all who are supposed to know its meaning. Symbology means recognized illusion. The origin of symbology is in the inspiration of the artist, for to the artist, wisdom is revealed in dreams of art, and though an inspired artist certainly gives a message in the form of art, it is not necessary that every artist should be equipped in symbology, for talent in this direction is inborn in certain artists. An artist in the mystical path may develop this, but there must already be a spark of it in the heart of the artist. To understand symbology means to understand the language of nature, for behind the recognized symbols are numberless symbols, represented by every form that exists on earth and in heaven.