“optical” (optisch) refers to one of Alois Riegl’s modes of vision. It describes a way of seeing that keeps distance from the object and apprehends it within depth, rather than compressing space toward the viewer. This mode contrasts with the “haptic” (haptisch) mode: while haptic vision reduces distance and moves toward surface and proximity, optical vision emphasizes separation, depth, and a more detached visual relation.
The text links this optical mode to perspective-based space, especially linear perspective, where forms recede toward a vanishing point and objects farther away appear smaller. In that sense, optical vision is associated with a fixed viewpoint and with the representation of depth as something visually organized and held at a distance. At the same time, the source notes that in contemporary media environments these modes are no longer strictly exclusive. Instead, optical depth and interface-like shallowness can be experienced simultaneously, overlapping within the same perceptual situation.