The ability of 5-month-old infants to recognize two-dimensional (pictorial) representations of three-dimensional objects was investigated. Subjects were 24 5-month-old infants. The novelty preference technique was employed: all infants were familiarized with a three-dimensional object--a doll. Following familiarization, three novelty tests were administered, pairing (1) the familiar doll with a novel doll, (2) color photographs of the two dolls, and (3) black-and-white photographs of the dolls. The infants significantly preferred (looked longer at) the novel three-dimensional doll. This novelty preference was also present for the color photographs of the dolls, and male infants preferred the novel black-and-white photograph. Thus, 5-month-old infants are capable of transferring the information they extract from a three-dimensional object to a two-dimensional representation of the object. These data suggest that, at least for representations of relatively simple objects, pictorial perception does not have to be learned through experience with two-dimensional stimuli. (Author/MS)