Look: Larger Than Life Oliver Anthony Fan Photo Creates Mind-Bending Optical Illusion

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Oliver Anthony visited War, West Virginia on December 8 to ride on the Hatfield-McCoy Trails, a popular trail system for hikers, dirt bikes, ATVs, and other off-road vehicles. While there, the Virginia singer/songwriter stopped to take a photo with an older gentleman, which was posted on the HMT Warrior Trails Facebook page. The photo caused a bit of a stir with fans because Anthony and the other man appeared to be floating in the pic. Anthony’s height was also a topic of discussion in the comment section.

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One fan posted about the apparent optical illusion, asking, “why does it look like they’re floating[?],” prompting the administrator of the Facebook page to respond, “They’re each holding up one foot like they’re flatfoot dancing, then add, “[I]t’s just one of those silly things people sometimes do in the moment.”

[RELATED: “You Know What This Means”: Oliver Anthony Takes to Social Media After Grand Ole Opry Invitation]

Another fan then commented, “[It’s] not a dumb pose. If [you’re] a true [Southerner,] you’d know that putting up your leg posing in a photo used to be popular. It was a dance pose. And [I’m] sure 100% it made this ole [man’s] entire day. And put a bright smile on his face. [It’s] not about if you look “stupid” [It’s] for the memories and the feelings.❤️”

Yet another fan commented “Is he that tall,” pointing to Anthony’s height in the photo.

Meanwhile, Anthony posted a photo of himself on his socials the day before revealing that he was in Welch, West Virginia, about 15 miles from War.

A couple of weeks earlier, Anthony had posted another pic on his social media pages of him during the Thanksgiving weekend showing him at an off-road riding excursion in nearby Sophia, West Virginia.

Anthony became an overnight sensation this past August when his self-released single, “Rich Men North of Richmond,” a song packed with emotionally charged social and political commentary. The song shot to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts.

Anthony recently was invited to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville for the first time, and he’ll make his Opry debut this Saturday, December 16.

In February, Anthony will launch his 2024 Out of the Woods World Tour with a series of concerts in Europe. He’ll then kick off a lengthy U.S. leg of the trek with a February 21-22 stand at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. You can get tickets to see Anthony perform live via Stubhub, where tickets are fully insured and guaranteed through FanProtect. 

Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images

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