upright=1.25|thumb|Eye of God on [[apse chapel ceiling in the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Lviv]]

The Eye of Providence or All-Seeing Eye is a symbol depicting an eye, often enclosed in a triangle and surrounded by rays of light or a halo, intended to represent Providence, as the eye watches over the workers of mankind. A well-known example of the Eye of Providence appears on the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States, which is depicted on the United States one-dollar bill. It also features prominently atop the original publication of France's Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. The Eye of Providence was later painted above an image of three faces in Pontormo's 1525 Supper at Emmaus. Seventeenth-century depictions of the Eye sometimes show it surrounded by clouds or sunbursts. The Eye of God in a triangle is still used in church architecture and Christian art to symbolize the Trinity and God's omnipresence and divine providence.

The Eye of Providence is notably featured on the following buildings of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

  • The Mannheim Jesuit Church in Mannheim, Germany
  • The Kazan Cathedral in Saint Petersburg, Russia
  • The Shio-Mgvime Monastery in Mtskheta, Georgia
  • The Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah

Freemasonry

Commonly, the Eye of Providence is often associated with Freemasonry, first appearing as part of the standard Freemason iconography in 1797 with the publication of Thomas Smith Webb's The Freemason's Monitor. In this use, the Eye, representing the all-seeing eye of God, serves as a reminder that humanity's thoughts and deeds are always observed by God—who is referred to in Masonry as the Great Architect of the Universe. Typically, the Masonic Eye of Providence has a semicircular glory below it, and is sometimes enclosed by a triangle. Popular among conspiracy theorists is the claim that the Eye of Providence shown atop an unfinished pyramid on the Great Seal of the United States indicates the influence of Freemasonry in the founding of the United States. However, common Masonic use of the Eye dates to 14 years after the creation of the Great Seal. Furthermore, the only Mason among the members of the various design committees for the Great Seal was Benjamin Franklin, whose ideas for the seal were not adopted. Likewise, various Masonic organizations have explicitly denied any connection to the creation of the Seal.

Governmental use

left|225px|thumb|Original design for the Great Seal of the United States by [[Pierre Eugene du Simitiere|Simitiere]]

upright=1.15|right|thumb|The Eye of Providence can be found on the reverse side of the U.S. [[United States one-dollar bill|$1 bill.]]

upright=1.15|right|thumb|The Eye, featured on a [[Hand#Areas|palm (flag of the Confederation of the Equator, a short-lived rebellion that occurred in the northeastern region of the Empire of Brazil, 1824)]]

right|upright=1.3|thumb|[[Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, alongside Abbé Sieyès, and Honoré Mirabeau, were the primary constitutional architects of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which features the Eye of Providence at the top. Decreed early in the French Revolution by the Assembly in France (1789), the document was illustrated by French artist, Jean-Jacques-François Le Barbier (1738-1826).]]

United States

In 1782, the Eye of Providence was adopted as part of the symbolism featured on the reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States. It was first proposed as an element of the Great Seal by the first of three design committees in 1776, and it is thought to be the suggestion of the artistic consultant Pierre Eugene du Simitiere. At the time, it was a conventional symbol for God’s benevolent oversight.

Perhaps due to its use in the design of the Great Seal, the Eye has made its way into other American seals and logos, such as, for example:

  • The Seal of Colorado
  • The city seal of Kenosha, Wisconsin
  • DARPA's Information Awareness Office

U.S. currency

The Eye of Providence has been used among various forms of currency throughout U.S. history, including:

  • the United States one-dollar bill, as part of the Great Seal (since 1935)
  • the Vermont Copper
  • Nova Constellatio patterns of 1783
  • Nova Constellatio coppers of 1783 and 1785
  • some Immune Columbia issues

Other countries

The Eye of Providence appears in France's Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen,

File:Eye of Providence Symbol.svg|Eye of Providence from the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States, as seen on the U.S. one-dollar bill (close-up)

File:La Gratitude's All-seeing Eye.JPG|alt=All-seeing eye in a Cape Dutch gable in Stellenbosch, South Africa|All-Seeing Eye in a Cape Dutch gable in Stellenbosch, South Africa

File:IAO-logo.png|Original seal of the DARPA Information Awareness Office

File:Alexander Column 2006.jpg|All-Seeing Eye on the pedestal decorations of Alexander Column

File:ChristianEyeOfProvidence.svg|alt=A Christian version of the Eye of Providence, emphasizing the triangle representing the Trinity|A Christian version of the Eye of Providence, emphasizing the triangle that represents the Trinity

File:MountEcclesia 002entr.jpg|All-Seeing Eye in a pediment of an Esoteric Christian temple in Mount Ecclesia, California

File:Catedral De Salta Ojo de la Providencia - Salta Cathedral All Seeing Eye.jpg|Eye of Providence on the exterior of a cathedral in Salta, Argentina

File:Eye of Providence on Altar Equipment.JPG|alt=Eye of Providence depicted on altar equipment|Eye of Providence depicted on altar equipment, now in a museum in Pala, Kerala, India

File:Saint Raphael Catholic Church (Springfield, Ohio) - stained glass, Eye of Providence.jpg|Eye of Providence depicted in a stained glass window, St. Raphael Catholic Church (Springfield, Ohio)

File:Coat of Arms of Brasłaŭ, Belarus.svg|left|Coat of arms of Braslaw, Belarus

File:God eye2.jpg|alt=God Eye in West Ukraine (Ukrainian Carpathians) near Mykulychyn village|God Eye in West Ukraine (Ukrainian Carpathians) near Mykulychyn village. The inscription on the stone, written in an old Ukrainian dialect, translates to "All will pass but God's eye does not pass you."

File:Kamienna Góra, cmentarz żydowski, fragment macewy DSCF7708.jpg|The Eye of Providence in a Jewish cemetery in Kamienna Góra

File:Allsehendes Auge am Tor des Aachener Dom.JPG|All-Seeing Eye on the gate of Aachen Cathedral

File:Wappen_Jauch_neu.png|Eye of Providence in the canting arms of the Jauch family (motto: "Lord thou shalt guide me with thy counsel", Psalm 73)

File:University of Mississippi seal.svg|University of Mississippi seal, with a radiating All-Seeing Eye at the center

File:Coa Illustration All seeing eye.svg|All Seeing Eye cross

File:GODF in R.Macedonia.jpg|The Eye of Providence depicted on the "Vistina – La Verite", a medallion issued by the Masonic Lodge in Skopje, North Macedonia

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See also

  • Divine Eye (Caodaism)
  • Eye of Horus and Eye of Ra
  • Third eye

References

  • Min Chen. Unlocking the Occult: 5 Mystical Symbols and Their Secret Histories // Artnet News — Oct. 30, 2025