<p>In German it can be called <strong>Wimmelbild</strong>, literally &quot;Swarm Image&quot; or &quot;Teeming Picture&quot;, which translates into English <a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wimmelbild" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(via wikipedia)</a> as:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Hidden Object Picture</strong>: a large-scale image that shows many different elements, figures and actions in one picture.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>They are usually for kids, where they can find stuff, think you call it &quot;Where's Waldo?&quot; in English.  They are also known as &quot;crowd scenes&quot; or &quot;illustrated panoramas&quot; <a href="https://dict.leo.org/forum/viewUnsolvedquery.php?idThread=706597&amp;idForum=1&amp;lang=de&amp;lp=ende" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(source)</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-10T09:29:13.857Z
Hi rainer, nice answer, I'd never heard of the word. Welcome to Arts & Crafts!
Joachim
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-10T09:11:08.910Z
2024-10-14T22:19:27.643Z
2024-10-14T22:19:27.643Z
rainer
<p>It's hard to pinpoint, because it's neither a genre nor a style, but it reminds me of <em><strong>horror vacui</strong></em>, i.e. 'fear of empty space' (think <em>vacuum horror</em>), a type of design that gained special popularity during the Baroque period, when elaborate shapes and intricate decorations ideally adorned every last piece of surface in art and architecture.<br />
Searching for the term in search engines will yield <a href="https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=horror%20vacui" rel="noreferrer">similar images</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-09T23:15:34.517Z
2021-05-09T23:15:34.517Z
Joachim
<p>In English, I'd call it a &quot;busy&quot; image.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-10T19:39:33.533Z
I don't think the OP is looking for a word to describe the scene as a scene, but how such an image (an image of a busy scene, or a busy image) would be called.
Joachim
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-10T18:41:59.167Z
2021-05-10T18:41:59.167Z
nerdfever.com
<p>I have seen a few pictures like <a href="https://wallup.net/matei-apostolescu-colorful-artwork-surreal-detailed/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this one</a>, but I never found out what to call them:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/DZz5g.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/DZz5g.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a><br />
<sup>Artwork by Matei Apostolescu</sup></p>
<p>It doesn't necessarily need to be this abstract, just a detailed illustration, where lots of things are going on or are just present (perhaps I'd compare it to Where is Waldo illustrations).<br />
What key words to use if you want to find more pictures like this one?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-10T20:27:47.233Z
Where's Waldo illustrations are usually "Crowd Scenes", but I don't know if that applies when the subject matter isn't a group of people.
Aww_Geez
<style-identification><illustration>
What do you call these pictures / illustrations?
McDuck
# What do you call these pictures / illustrations?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-05-09)

I have seen a few pictures like [this one](https://wallup.net/matei-apostolescu-colorful-artwork-surreal-detailed/), but I never found out what to call them:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/DZz5g.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/DZz5g.jpg)  
Artwork by Matei Apostolescu

It doesn't necessarily need to be this abstract, just a detailed illustration, where lots of things are going on or are just present (perhaps I'd compare it to Where is Waldo illustrations).  
What key words to use if you want to find more pictures like this one?

**Tags:** style-identification, illustration

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Where's Waldo illustrations are usually "Crowd Scenes", but I don't know if that applies when the subject matter isn't a group of people.  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-05-10. Score: 10

In German it can be called **Wimmelbild**, literally "Swarm Image" or "Teeming Picture", which translates into English [(via wikipedia)](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wimmelbild) as:

> **Hidden Object Picture**: a large-scale image that shows many different elements, figures and actions in one picture.

They are usually for kids, where they can find stuff, think you call it "Where's Waldo?" in English. They are also known as "crowd scenes" or "illustrated panoramas" [(source)](https://dict.leo.org/forum/viewUnsolvedquery.php?idThread=706597&idForum=1&lang=de&lp=ende).

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Hi username_2, nice answer, I'd never heard of the word. Welcome to Arts & Crafts!  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2021-05-09. Score: 5

It's hard to pinpoint, because it's neither a genre nor a style, but it reminds me of ***horror vacui***, i.e. 'fear of empty space' (think *vacuum horror*), a type of design that gained special popularity during the Baroque period, when elaborate shapes and intricate decorations ideally adorned every last piece of surface in art and architecture.  
Searching for the term in search engines will yield [similar images](https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=horror%20vacui).


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### Answer by username_4 on 2021-05-10. Score: -2

In English, I'd call it a "busy" image.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: I don't think the OP is looking for a word to describe the scene as a scene, but how such an image (an image of a busy scene, or a busy image) would be called.  

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