Magic, which encompasses the subgenres of illusion, stage magic, and close-up magic, among others, is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural means. It is to be distinguished from paranormal magic which are effects claimed to be created through supernatural means. It is one of the oldest performing arts in the world.
Modern entertainment magic, as pioneered by 19th-century magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin, has become a popular theatrical art form. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, magicians such as John Nevil Maskelyne and David Devant, Howard Thurston, Harry Kellar, and Harry Houdini achieved widespread commercial success during what has become known as "the Golden Age of Magic", a period in which performance magic became a staple of Broadway theatre, vaudeville, and music halls. Meanwhile, magicians such as Georges Méliès, Gaston Velle, Walter R. Booth, and Orson Welles introduced pioneering filmmaking techniques informed by their knowledge of magic.
Magic has retained its popularity into the 21st century by adapting to the mediums of television and the internet, with magicians such as David Copperfield, Penn & Teller, Paul Daniels, Criss Angel, David Blaine, Derren Brown, Mat Franco, and Shin Lim modernizing the art form. Through the use of social media, magicians can now reach a wider audience than ever before.
Magicians are known for closely guarding the methods they use to achieve their effects, although they often share their techniques through both formal and informal training within the magic community. Magicians use a variety of techniques, including sleight of hand, misdirection, optical and auditory illusions, hidden compartments, contortionism and specially constructed props, as well as verbal and nonverbal psychological techniques such as suggestion, hypnosis, and priming.