A fundamental question in visual perception is whether the representation of the fovea is split at the midline between the two hemispheres, or bilaterally represented by overlapping projections of the fovea in each hemisphere. Here we examine psychophysical, anatomical, neuropsychological and brain stimulation experiments that have addressed this question, and argue for a shift from the current default view of bilateral representation to that of a split representation, to provide a greater understanding of higher visual processes.