All we need to do is look around us to see the shadows cast by objects on the surfaces that frame them - whether the lighting is natural or artificial. These shadows may be faint, vague, or indistinct, but they are rarely absent. The exception is most paintings.

Gombrich here examines the ambiguous role of shadows in myths, legends, and philosophy. At the same time, he briefly analyzes the factors that decisively influence their shape: the point and form of the light source, the shape of the object being illuminated, and the surface on which the shadow "falls," as well as the viewer's position.

[Excerpt from the publisher's or edition's presentation text]