HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Trompe-l'œil'' ( , ; ) is an artistic term for the highly realistic
optical illusion Within visual perception, an optical illusion (also called a visual illusion) is an illusion caused by the visual system and characterized by a visual perception, percept that arguably appears to differ from reality. Illusions come in a wide v ...
of three-dimensional space and objects on a two-dimensional surface. ''Trompe l'oeil'', which is most often associated with painting, tricks the viewer into perceiving painted objects or spaces as real. Forced perspective is a related illusion in architecture.


History in painting

The phrase, which can also be spelled without the
hyphen The hyphen is a punctuation mark used to join words and to separate syllables of a single word. The use of hyphens is called hyphenation. ''Son-in-law'' is an example of a hyphenated word. The hyphen is sometimes confused with dashes ( figure ...
and ligature in English as ''trompe l'oeil'', originates with the artist
Louis-Léopold Boilly Louis-Léopold Boilly (; 5 July 1761 – 4 January 1845) was a French painter and draftsman. A gifted creator of popular portrait paintings, he also produced a vast number of genre paintings vividly documenting French middle-class social life. His ...
, who used it as the title of a painting he exhibited in the
Paris Salon The Salon (french: Salon), or rarely Paris Salon (French: ''Salon de Paris'' ), beginning in 1667 was the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Between 1748 and 1890 it was arguably the greatest annual or biennial ar ...
of 1800. Although the term gained currency only in the early 19th century, the illusionistic technique associated with ''trompe-l'œil'' dates much further back. It was (and is) often employed in
mural A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spanis ...
s. Instances from Greek and Roman times are known, for instance in
Pompeii Pompeii (, ) was an ancient city located in what is now the ''comune'' of Pompei near Naples in the Campania region of Italy. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area (e.g. at Boscoreale, Stabiae), was burie ...
. A typical ''trompe-l'œil'' mural might depict a window, door, or hallway, intended to suggest a larger room. A version of an oft-told
ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic pe ...
story concerns a contest between two renowned painters. Zeuxis (born around 464 BC) produced a still life painting so convincing that birds flew down to peck at the painted grapes. A rival, Parrhasius, asked Zeuxis to judge one of his paintings that was behind a pair of tattered curtains in his study. Parrhasius asked Zeuxis to pull back the curtains, but when Zeuxis tried, he could not, as the curtains were included in Parrhasius's painting—making Parrhasius the winner.


Perspective

A fascination with
perspective drawing Linear or point-projection perspective (from la, perspicere 'to see through') is one of two types of graphical projection perspective in the graphic arts; the other is parallel projection. Linear perspective is an approximate representation, ...
arose during the
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...
. But also
Giotto Giotto di Bondone (; – January 8, 1337), known mononymously as Giotto ( , ) and Latinised as Giottus, was an Italian painter and architect from Florence during the Late Middle Ages. He worked during the Gothic/ Proto-Renaissance period. G ...
began using perspective at the end of 1200 with the cycle of Assisi in Saint Francis stories. Many Italian painters of the late Quattrocento, such as Andrea Mantegna (1431–1506) and Melozzo da Forlì (1438–1494), began painting illusionistic ceiling paintings, generally in
fresco Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plast ...
, that employed perspective and techniques such as foreshortening to create the impression of greater space for the viewer below. This type of ''trompe l'œil'' illusionism as specifically applied to ceiling paintings is known as '' di sotto in sù'', meaning "from below, upward" in Italian. The elements above the viewer are rendered as if viewed from true vanishing point perspective. Well-known examples are the Camera degli Sposi in
Mantua Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and '' comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the province of the same name. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture. In 2017, it was named as the Eur ...
and
Antonio da Correggio Antonio Allegri da Correggio (August 1489 – 5 March 1534), usually known as just Correggio (, also , , ), was the foremost painter of the Parma school of the High Italian Renaissance, who was responsible for some of the most vigorous and sens ...
's (1489–1534) ''Assumption of the Virgin'' in the
Parma Cathedral Parma Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Parma; Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Parma, Emilia-Romagna ( Italy), dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Parm ...
. Similarly, Vittorio Carpaccio (1460–1525) and Jacopo de' Barbari (c. 1440 – before 1516) added small trompe l'œil features to their paintings, playfully exploring the boundary between image and reality. For example, a painted fly might appear to be sitting on the painting's frame, or a curtain might appear to partly conceal the painting, a piece of paper might appear to be attached to a board, or a person might appear to be climbing out of the painting altogether—all in reference to the contest of Zeuxis and Parrhasius.


Quadratura

Perspective theories in the 17th century allowed a more fully integrated approach to architectural illusion, which when used by painters to "open up" the space of a wall or ceiling is known as ''
quadratura Illusionistic ceiling painting, which includes the techniques of perspective ''di sotto in sù'' and ''quadratura'', is the tradition in Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo art in which ''trompe-l'œil'', perspective tools such as foreshortening, an ...
''. Examples include
Pietro da Cortona Pietro da Cortona (; 1 November 1596 or 159716 May 1669) was an Italian Baroque painter and architect. Along with his contemporaries and rivals Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini, he was one of the key figures in the emergence of Roman ...
's ''Allegory of Divine Providence'' in the Palazzo Barberini and
Andrea Pozzo Andrea Pozzo (; Latinized version: ''Andreas Puteus''; 30 November 1642 – 31 August 1709) was an Italian Jesuit brother, Baroque painter, architect, decorator, stage designer, and art theoretician. Pozzo was best known for his grandiose fresc ...
's ''Apotheosis of St Ignatius'' on the ceiling of the Roman church of Sant'Ignazio in Campo Marzio. The Mannerist and
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...
style interiors of
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
churches in the 16th and 17th centuries often included such ''trompe-l'œil'' ceiling paintings, which optically "open" the ceiling or dome to the heavens with a depiction of Jesus', Mary's, or a saint's ascension or assumption. An example of a perfect architectural ''trompe-l'œil'' is the illusionistic dome in the Jesuit church, Vienna, by
Andrea Pozzo Andrea Pozzo (; Latinized version: ''Andreas Puteus''; 30 November 1642 – 31 August 1709) was an Italian Jesuit brother, Baroque painter, architect, decorator, stage designer, and art theoretician. Pozzo was best known for his grandiose fresc ...
, which is only slightly curved, but gives the impression of true architecture. ''Trompe-l'œil'' paintings became very popular in Flemish and later in Dutch painting in the 17th century arising from the development of still life painting. The Flemish painter Cornelis Norbertus Gysbrechts created a chantourné painting showing an easel holding a painting. Chantourné literally means 'cutout' and refers to a trompe l'œil representation designed to stand away from a wall. The Dutch painter
Samuel Dirksz van Hoogstraten Samuel Dirksz van Hoogstraten (2 August 1627, in Dordrecht – 19 October 1678, in Dordrecht) was a Dutch painter of the Golden Age, who was also a poet and author on art theory. Biography Samuel Dirksz van Hoogstraten trained first with his fa ...
was a master of the ''trompe-l'œil'' and theorized on the role of art as the lifelike imitation of nature in his 1678 book, the ''Introduction to the Academy of Painting, or the Visible World'' (''Inleyding tot de hooge schoole der schilderkonst: anders de zichtbaere werelt'', Rotterdam, 1678). A fanciful form of architectural ''trompe-l'œil'', quodlibet, features realistically rendered paintings of such items as paper knives, playing cards, ribbons, and scissors, apparently accidentally left lying around. ''Trompe-l'œil'' can also be found painted on tables and other items of furniture, on which, for example, a deck of playing cards might appear to be sitting on the table. A particularly impressive example can be seen at
Chatsworth House Chatsworth House is a stately home in the Derbyshire Dales, north-east of Bakewell and west of Chesterfield, England. The seat of the Duke of Devonshire, it has belonged to the Cavendish family since 1549. It stands on the east bank of the ...
in
Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...
, where one of the internal doors appears to have a violin and bow suspended from it, in a trompe l'œil painted around 1723 by Jan van der Vaart. Another example can be found in the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London. This
Wren Wrens are a family of brown passerine birds in the predominantly New World family Troglodytidae. The family includes 88 species divided into 19 genera. Only the Eurasian wren occurs in the Old World, where, in Anglophone regions, it is commonl ...
building was painted by
Sir James Thornhill Sir James Thornhill (25 July 1675 or 1676 – 4 May 1734) was an English painter of historical subjects working in the Italian baroque tradition. He was responsible for some large-scale schemes of murals, including the "Painted Hall" at the Ro ...
, the first British born painter to be knighted and is a classic example of the Baroque style popular in the early 18th century. The American 19th-century still-life painter
William Harnett William Michael Harnett (August 10, 1848 – October 29, 1892) was an Irish- American painter known for his trompe-l'œil still lifes of ordinary objects. Early life Harnett was born in Clonakilty, County Cork, Ireland during the time of the G ...
specialized in ''trompe-l'œil''. In the 20th century, from the 1960s on, the American
Richard Haas Richard John Haas (born August 29, 1936) is an American muralist who is best known for architectural murals and his use of the ''trompe-l'œil'' style. Haas has a 1959 B.S. from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and a 1964 M.F.A. from the U ...
and many others painted large ''trompe-l'œil'' murals on the sides of city buildings, and from beginning of the 1980s when German Artist
Rainer Maria Latzke Rainer Maria Latzke (born 28 December 1950) is a German artist working in the field of ''trompe-l'œil'' and mural painting. He taught at the Utah State University and is founder of the Institute of Frescography. Latzke is Honorary Professor o ...
began to combine classical fresco art with contemporary content ''trompe-l'œil'' became increasingly popular for interior murals. The Spanish painter
Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarr ...
utilized the technique for a number of his paintings.


In other art forms

''Trompe-l'œil'', in the form of " forced perspective", has long been used in stage-theater
set design Scenic design (also known as scenography, stage design, or set design) is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery. Scenic designers come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, but in recent years, are mostly trai ...
, so as to create the illusion of a much deeper space than the existing stage. A famous early example is the
Teatro Olimpico The Teatro Olimpico ("Olympic Theatre") is a theatre in Vicenza, northern Italy, constructed in 1580–1585. The theatre was the final design by the Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio and was not completed until after his death. T ...
in
Vicenza Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan. Vicenza is a thr ...
, with Vincenzo Scamozzi's seven forced-perspective "streets" (1585), which appear to recede into the distance. ''Trompe-l'œil'' is employed in
Donald O'Connor Donald David Dixon Ronald O'Connor (August 28, 1925 – September 27, 2003) was an American dancer, singer and actor. He came to fame in a series of films in which he co-starred with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule. His b ...
's famous "Running up the wall" scene in the film ''
Singin' in the Rain ''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell and Cyd C ...
'' (1954). During the finale of his "Make 'em Laugh" number he first runs up a real wall. Then he runs towards what appears to be a hallway, but when he runs up this as well we realize that it is a large ''trompe-l'œil'' mural. More recently,
Roy Andersson Roy Arne Lennart Andersson (born 31 March 1943) is a Swedish film director, best known for ''A Swedish Love Story'' (1970), '' About Endlessness'' (2019) and his "Living trilogy," which includes ''Songs from the Second Floor'' (2000), ''You, th ...
has made use of similar techniques in his feature films. Matte painting is a variant of ''trompe-l'œil'', and is used in film production with elements of a scene are painted on glass panels mounted in front of the camera.
Elsa Schiaparelli Elsa Schiaparelli ( , also , ; 10 September 1890 – 13 November 1973) was a fashion designer from an Italian nobility, Italian aristocratic background. She created the Schiaparelli (fashion house), house of Schiaparelli in Paris in 1927, w ...
frequently made use of ''trompe-l'œil'' in her designs, most famously perhaps in her Bowknot Sweater, which some consider to be the first use of ''trompe-l'œil'' in fashion. The Tears Dress, which she did in collaboration with
Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarr ...
, features both appliqué tears on the veil and ''tromp-l'œil'' tears on the dress itself. Fictional'' trompe-l'œil'' appears in many
Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series '' Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation. ...
, such as the Road Runner cartoons, where, for example, Wile E. Coyote paints a tunnel on a rock wall, and the Road Runner then races through the fake tunnel. This is usually followed by the coyote's foolishly trying to run through the tunnel after the road runner, only to smash into the hard rock-face. This sight gag was employed in ''
Who Framed Roger Rabbit ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' is a 1988 American Live-action animated film, live-action/animated comedy film, comedy mystery film directed by Robert Zemeckis, produced by Frank Marshall (filmmaker), Frank Marshall and Robert Watts, and loosely ad ...
''. In
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
's Near North Side,
Richard Haas Richard John Haas (born August 29, 1936) is an American muralist who is best known for architectural murals and his use of the ''trompe-l'œil'' style. Haas has a 1959 B.S. from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and a 1964 M.F.A. from the U ...
used a 16-story 1929 apartment hotel converted into a 1981 apartment building for ''trompe-l'œil'' murals in homage to
Chicago school architecture Chicago's architecture is famous throughout the world and one style is referred to as the Chicago School. Much of its early work is also known as Commercial Style. In the history of architecture, the first Chicago School was a school of architec ...
. One of the building's sides features the
Chicago Board of Trade Building The Chicago Board of Trade Building is a 44-story, Art Deco skyscraper located in the Chicago Loop, standing at the foot of the LaSalle Street canyon. Built in 1930 for the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), it has served as the primary trading ...
, intended as a reflection of the building located two miles south. Several contemporary artists use chalk on pavement or sidewalk to create ''trompe-l'œil'' works, a technique called
street painting Street painting, also known as screeving, pavement art, street art, and sidewalk art, is the performance art of rendering artistic designs on pavement such as streets, sidewalks, and town squares with impermanent and semi-permanent materials ...
or "pavement art". These creations last only until washed away, and therefore must be photographed to be preserved. Practitioners of this form include
Julian Beever Julian Beever (born c. 1959) is a British sidewalk chalk artist who has been creating ''trompe-l'œil'' chalk drawings on pavement surfaces since the mid-1990s. He uses a projection technique called anamorphosis to create the illusion of three ...
, Edgar Mueller, Leon Keer, and
Kurt Wenner Kurt Wenner is an American artist, he is known for his 3D pavement art shown internationally. Early life and education Wenner was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1958, but grew up in Santa Barbara, California. He attended Rhode Island School of D ...
. The Palazzo Salis of Tirano,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, has over centuries and throughout the palace used ''trompe l'œil'' in place of more expensive real masonry, doors, staircases, balconies, and draperies to create an illusion of sumptuousness and opulence. ''Trompe-l’œil'' in the form of illusion architecture and
Lüftlmalerei Lüftlmalerei (also spelt ''Lüftelmalerei'') is a form of mural art that is native to villages and towns of southern Germany and Austria, especially in Upper Bavaria ( Werdenfelser Land) and in the Tyrol. Style The origin of the term is dispu ...
is common on façades in the Alpine region. ''Trompe l'œil,'' in the form of "illusion painting", is also used in contemporary interior design, where illusionary wall paintings experienced a renaissance since around 1980. Significant artists in this field are the German muralist
Rainer Maria Latzke Rainer Maria Latzke (born 28 December 1950) is a German artist working in the field of ''trompe-l'œil'' and mural painting. He taught at the Utah State University and is founder of the Institute of Frescography. Latzke is Honorary Professor o ...
, who invented, in the 1990s, a new method of producing illusion paintings,
frescography Frescography (from Latin ''fresco'' – ''painting onto "fresh" plaster'' + Greek ''graphein'' - to write) is a method for producing murals digitally on paper, canvas, glass or tiles, invented in 1998 by German muralist Rainer Maria Latzke. Fre ...
, and the English artist
Graham Rust Graham Rust (born 1942, Hertfordshire, England) is a painter and muralist. Biography Graham Redgrave-Rust was born in Hertfordshire, England in 1942. He studied drawing and painting at the Regent Street Art School, the Central School of Arts an ...
.
OK Go OK Go is an American rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, now based in Los Angeles, California. The band is composed of Damian Kulash (lead vocals, guitar), Tim Nordwind (bass guitar and vocals), Dan Konopka (drums and percussion), an ...
's music video for " The Writing's on the Wall" uses a number of ''trompe-l'œil'' illusions alongside other optical illusions, captured through a one-shot take. ''Trompe-l'œil '' illusions have been used as gameplay mechanics in video games such as '' The Witness'' and ''
Superliminal ''Superliminal'' (previously ''Museum of Simulation Technology'') is a 2019 surreal puzzle video game released by Pillow Castle Games. The game, played from a first-person perspective, incorporates gameplay elements around optical illusions and f ...
''. Japanese filmmaker and animator Isao Takahata regarded achieving a sense of ''trompe-l'œil'' to be important for his work, stating that an animated world should feel as if it "existed right there" so that "people believe in a
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
world and characters that no one has seen in reality." Tourists attractions employing large-scale illusory art allowing visitors to photograph themselves in fantastic scenes have opened in several Asian countries, such as the Trickeye Museum and Hong Kong 3D Museum. Recently a Trick Art Museum opened in Europe and uses more photographic approaches.


Artists

Old Masters In art history, "Old Master" (or "old master")Old Masters De ...
* Cornelis Biltius * Jacob Biltius * Donato Bramante * Petrus Christus *
Antonio da Correggio Antonio Allegri da Correggio (August 1489 – 5 March 1534), usually known as just Correggio (, also , , ), was the foremost painter of the Parma school of the High Italian Renaissance, who was responsible for some of the most vigorous and sens ...
*
Carlo Crivelli Carlo Crivelli ( Venice, c. 1430 – Ascoli Piceno, c. 1495) was an Italian Renaissance painter of conservative Late Gothic decorative sensibility, who spent his early years in the Veneto, where he absorbed influences from the Vivar ...
* Luca Giordano * Cornelis Norbertus Gysbrechts * Franciscus Gijsbrechts *
Samuel Dirksz van Hoogstraten Samuel Dirksz van Hoogstraten (2 August 1627, in Dordrecht – 19 October 1678, in Dordrecht) was a Dutch painter of the Golden Age, who was also a poet and author on art theory. Biography Samuel Dirksz van Hoogstraten trained first with his fa ...
* Andrea Mantegna *
Masaccio Masaccio (, , ; December 21, 1401 – summer 1428), born Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone, was a Florentine artist who is regarded as the first great Italian painter of the Quattrocento period of the Italian Renaissance. According to Vasar ...
*Jean-Francois de la Motte *
Charles Willson Peale Charles Willson Peale (April 15, 1741 – February 22, 1827) was an American Painting, painter, soldier, scientist, inventor, politician and naturalist. He is best remembered for his portrait paintings of leading figures of the American Revolu ...
* Jacobus Plasschaert *
Andrea Pozzo Andrea Pozzo (; Latinized version: ''Andreas Puteus''; 30 November 1642 – 31 August 1709) was an Italian Jesuit brother, Baroque painter, architect, decorator, stage designer, and art theoretician. Pozzo was best known for his grandiose fresc ...
* Vincenzo Scamozzi *
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Giovanni Battista Tiepolo ( , ; March 5, 1696 – March 27, 1770), also known as Giambattista (or Gianbattista) Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice who painted in the Rococo style, considered an import ...
19th century and modern masters * Henry Alexander *
Aaron Bohrod Aaron Bohrod (21 November 1907 – 3 April 1992) was an American artist best known for his trompe-l'œil still-life paintings. Education Bohrod was born in Chicago in 1907, the son of an emigree Bessarabian-Jewish grocer. Bohrod studied at ...
*
Louis-Léopold Boilly Louis-Léopold Boilly (; 5 July 1761 – 4 January 1845) was a French painter and draftsman. A gifted creator of popular portrait paintings, he also produced a vast number of genre paintings vividly documenting French middle-class social life. His ...
*
Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarr ...
* Walter Goodman *
John Haberle John Haberle (1856–1933) was an American painter in the ''trompe-l'œil'' (literally, "fool the eye") style. His still lifes of ordinary objects are painted in such a way that the painting can be mistaken for the objects themselves. He is conside ...
*
William Harnett William Michael Harnett (August 10, 1848 – October 29, 1892) was an Irish- American painter known for his trompe-l'œil still lifes of ordinary objects. Early life Harnett was born in Clonakilty, County Cork, Ireland during the time of the G ...
*
Claude Raguet Hirst Claude Raguet Hirst (born Claudine, 1855–1942) was an American painter of still lifes. She was the only woman of her era to gain acclaim using the '' trompe-l'œil'' ("fool the eye") technique. Early life and education Claudine was born in C ...
* René Magritte * John F. Peto Contemporary *
Ellen Altfest Ellen Altfest (born New York City, 1970) is an American painter who lives and works in New York. She is best known for her realist depictions of landscapes and still lifes that often blur the distinction between the two genres. Education Altfes ...
* Martin Battersby *
Julian Beever Julian Beever (born c. 1959) is a British sidewalk chalk artist who has been creating ''trompe-l'œil'' chalk drawings on pavement surfaces since the mid-1990s. He uses a projection technique called anamorphosis to create the illusion of three ...
* Daniela Benedini * Henri Bol *
Henri Cadiou Henri Cadiou (26 March 1906, Paris – 6 April 1989) was a French realist painter and lithographer, best known for his work in ''trompe-l'œil'' paintings. He is credited with being a founder of the ''l’école de la réalité'' in 1949 (now c ...
* Dan Colen * Piero Fornasetti * Ronald Francis * Joanne Gair * Frederic Gracia *
Richard Haas Richard John Haas (born August 29, 1936) is an American muralist who is best known for architectural murals and his use of the ''trompe-l'œil'' style. Haas has a 1959 B.S. from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and a 1964 M.F.A. from the U ...
* Jonty Hurwitz * Lorena Kloosterboer *
Rainer Maria Latzke Rainer Maria Latzke (born 28 December 1950) is a German artist working in the field of ''trompe-l'œil'' and mural painting. He taught at the Utah State University and is founder of the Institute of Frescography. Latzke is Honorary Professor o ...
* Attila Meszlenyi * István Orosz ( Utisz) * Os Gêmeos, "The Twins" * Jacques Poirier *
Susan Powers Susan Powers (born 1954 in Glen Cove, New York) is a self-taught American artist. Education Powers attended the University of Vermont, where she studied classical languages and medieval history, graduating in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts de ...
*
John Pugh John David Pugh (born 28 June 1948, Liverpool) is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom. He was the Member of Parliament for Southport from 2001 to 2017. He stood down at the 2017 snap election. In November 2017, he was elected ...
* Pierre-Marie Rudelle *
Graham Rust Graham Rust (born 1942, Hertfordshire, England) is a painter and muralist. Biography Graham Redgrave-Rust was born in Hertfordshire, England in 1942. He studied drawing and painting at the Regent Street Art School, the Central School of Arts an ...
* Anthony Waichulis *
Kurt Wenner Kurt Wenner is an American artist, he is known for his 3D pavement art shown internationally. Early life and education Wenner was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1958, but grew up in Santa Barbara, California. He attended Rhode Island School of D ...
*
Tavar Zawacki Tavar Zawacki formerly known as 'ABOVE' (born 1981) is an American abstract artist living and working in Lisbon, Portugal. For twenty years (1996–2016) Tavar Zawacki created and signed all of his artworks with his street artist pseudonym, 'A ...


Paintings

File:Jan van Eyck 054-096.jpg, '' The Annunciation Diptych'' by
Jan van Eyck Jan van Eyck ( , ; – July 9, 1441) was a painter active in Bruges who was one of the early innovators of what became known as Early Netherlandish painting, and one of the most significant representatives of Early Northern Renaissance art. A ...
, detail (c. 1433–1435) File:Christus carthusian.jpg, ''
Portrait of a Carthusian ''Portrait of a Carthusian'' is a painting in oils on oak panel by the Early Netherlandish painter Petrus Christus in 1446. The work is part of the Jules Bache Collection housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. It is regarded ...
'' by Petrus Christus (1446). Note the fly near the bottom. File:Jacopo de' Barbari 001.jpg, '' Still-Life with Partridge and Gauntlets'' by Jacopo de' Barbari, 1504. The first
still-life A still life (plural: still lifes) is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which are either natural (food, flowers, dead animals, plants, rocks, shells, etc.) or man-made (drinking glasses, bo ...
trompe l'œil since antiquity File:Hungarian - Trompe-l'Oeil Stem of a Maltese Cross - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Trompe-l'Oeil stem of a Maltese Cross'' (1561) by Joris Hoefnagel File:Gerard Houckgeest 002.jpg, ''Church interior'' by
Gerard Houckgeest Gerard Houckgeest (c. 1600–August 1661) was a Dutch Golden Age painter of architectural scenes and church interiors. Biography Houckgeest is thought to have been born in The Hague, where, according to the RKD, he learned to paint from Bar ...
(c. 1654) File:Cornelius Norbertus Gijsbrechts - Trompe l’oeil Studio Wall with a Vanitas Still Life.jpg, ''Trompe l’oeil Studio Wall with a Vanitas Still Life'',
Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts or Gysbrechts (1625/1629 – after 1675) was a Flemish painter who was active in the Spanish Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Sweden in the second half of the seventeenth century.Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts or Gysbrechts (1625/1629 – after 1675) was a Flemish painter who was active in the Spanish Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Sweden in the second half of the seventeenth century.Cornelis Biltius, 1680s File:Jean-François de Le Motte. Trompe-l'oeil.jpg, ''Trompe-l'oeil'', Jean-François de Le Motte, 1680-1700 File:Nicola van Houbraken - Self-portrait.jpg, ''Portrait of François Rivière'' by Nicola van Houbraken, c. 1700 File:Carl Hofverberg - Trompe l´oeil 1737 - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Trompe l´oeil 1737'' by Carl Hofverberg File:Jacobus Plasschaert - A 'trompe l'oeil' of a wooden panelling with a painted canvas of a landscape 'capriccio', a pile of prints with a repetition of the painted subject, an almanach, sealed letters.jpg, ''Trompe l'oeil of a wooden panelling with a painted canvas and print of a landscape capriccio'', Jacobus Plasschaert, 1650s File:Printed Pages, Trompe lOeil (Nicolaas de Wit) - Gothenburg Museum of Art - GKM 1072.tif, ''Printed Pages. Trompe l'œil'' by Nicolaas de Wit, 1740 File:Johann Heinrich Füssli 066.jpg, ''Trompe l'œil'' by
Henry Fuseli Henry Fuseli ( ; German: Johann Heinrich Füssli ; 7 February 1741 – 17 April 1825) was a Swiss painter, draughtsman and writer on art who spent much of his life in Britain. Many of his works, such as ''The Nightmare'', deal with supernatur ...
, 1750 File:Antonio Pérez de Aguilar - Cupboard - Google Art Project.jpg, Antonio Pérez de Aguilar, ''Cupboard'', c. 1769,
National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of ch ...
File:Paris louvre boilly trompe l'oeil.jpg, ''Trompe l'œil dit aux dessins et aux savoyards'' by
Louis-Léopold Boilly Louis-Léopold Boilly (; 5 July 1761 – 4 January 1845) was a French painter and draftsman. A gifted creator of popular portrait paintings, he also produced a vast number of genre paintings vividly documenting French middle-class social life. His ...
, c. 1804–1807 File:William Michael Harnett 001.jpg, ''The Faithful Colt'' 1890 by
William Michael Harnett William Michael Harnett (August 10, 1848 – October 29, 1892) was an Irish-American painter known for his trompe-l'œil still lifes of ordinary objects. Early life Harnett was born in Clonakilty, County Cork, Ireland during the time of the Gr ...
File:Char side vieuw.jpg, ''Char de la Ville'' (photographed 2006) - the "sculpture" is a flat cutout File:Theodor Pištěk, Josef N., (1978).jpg, Theodor Pištěk, Josef N., (1978), Art Library Project File:Ceiling piece with birds, by Abraham Busschop.jpg, Ceiling piece with birds by Abraham Busschop, 1708


Murals

File:Théâtre Saint-Georges1.jpg, Complete
anamorphosis Anamorphosis is a distorted projection requiring the viewer to occupy a specific vantage point, use special devices, or both to view a recognizable image. It is used in painting, photography, sculpture and installation, toys, and film special e ...
of the frontage of the Saint-Georges Theatre Image:Mantegna.jpg, Oculus on the ceiling of the Spouses Chamber, castle of San Giorgio in
Mantua Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and '' comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the province of the same name. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture. In 2017, it was named as the Eur ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, by Andrea Mantegna File:Brivio.church.cupola.jpg, ''Trompe-l'œil'' cupola in the church of Brivio, Italy File:Marolles1 (4889175932).jpg, Painted windows, Rue de l'Épée/Zwaard,
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
Image:Le_pigeon.jpg, A ''trompe-l'œil'' of a pigeon on a window sill, façade mural, rue Emile Lepeu in the
11th arrondissement of Paris The 11th arrondissement of Paris (''XIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is referred to as ''onzième''. The arrondissement, called Popincourt, is situated on ...
, France Image:SchwetzingenSchlossgarten.jpg, Mural in
Schwetzingen Schwetzingen (; pfl, Schwetzinge) is a German town in northwest Baden-Württemberg, around southwest of Heidelberg and southeast of Mannheim. Schwetzingen is one of the five biggest cities of the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis district and a medium-si ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
(the view "through" the wall at the end) Image:Lyon, Trompe d'oeil at night.jpg, A ''trompe-l'œil'' in
Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
Image:utmural.jpg, Bronze Statues ''trompe-l'œil'' in Mt. Pleasant, Utah Image:Chateau Thal Entrance to library.jpg, Architectural wall and ceiling ''trompe-l'œil'', Entrance to the library of Chateau Thal, by
Rainer Maria Latzke Rainer Maria Latzke (born 28 December 1950) is a German artist working in the field of ''trompe-l'œil'' and mural painting. He taught at the Utah State University and is founder of the Institute of Frescography. Latzke is Honorary Professor o ...
Image:Trompe lóeil Villa Paradou.jpg, Painted Trompe l'œil mosaic, floor in the Villa Paradou in
Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, by
Rainer Maria Latzke Rainer Maria Latzke (born 28 December 1950) is a German artist working in the field of ''trompe-l'œil'' and mural painting. He taught at the Utah State University and is founder of the Institute of Frescography. Latzke is Honorary Professor o ...
File:LA founding historical mural.jpg,
Los Angeles Plaza Historic District LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to: Science and technology * Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation * Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers * Level of significance, a measure of statistical significan ...
: mural off Alameda Street File:John Pugh's mural on a façade of Taylor Hall at California State University at Chico can easily cause double-takes LCCN2013631111.tif, Conceptual ''trompe-l'œil'' mural at California State University, Chico titled "Academe", featuring Doric columns and crumbling walls, by
John Pugh John David Pugh (born 28 June 1948, Liverpool) is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom. He was the Member of Parliament for Southport from 2001 to 2017. He stood down at the 2017 snap election. In November 2017, he was elected ...


Sculptures

Image:Bankfield Museum 035.jpg, 19th-century marble bust with apparently transparent veil,
Bankfield Museum Bankfield Museum is a grade II listed historic house museum, incorporating a regimental museum and textiles gallery in Boothtown, Halifax, England. It is notable for its past ownership and development by Colonel Edward Akroyd, MP, and its ...
, Halifax,
West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...
. Image:Bankfield Museum 036.jpg, The same bust seen in profile. The effect is consistent from all angles and from close up. Image:Magic_carpet_mosaic_fountain.jpg, A modern ''trompe-l'œil'' mosaic fountain at
Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
, in the form of a carpet thrown over marble steps. Image:La tombe de Rudolf Noureev (Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois) (8351663480).jpg, Tomb of
Rudolf Nureyev Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev ( ; Tatar/ Bashkir: Рудольф Хәмит улы Нуриев; rus, Рудо́льф Хаме́тович Нуре́ев, p=rʊˈdolʲf xɐˈmʲetəvʲɪtɕ nʊˈrʲejɪf; 17 March 19386 January 1993) was a Soviet ...
draped in a mosaic oriental carpet sculpture.


Architecture

Image:Forced perspective gallery by Francesco Borromini.jpg, Architectural ''trompe-l'œil'' in the Palazzo Spada,
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
, by
Francesco Borromini Francesco Borromini (, ), byname of Francesco Castelli (; 25 September 1599 – 2 August 1667), was an Italian architect born in the modern Swiss canton of Ticino
Image:BiellaDuomo.jpg, The interior of the
cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...
in Biella (
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
) is considered a masterpiece of ''trompe-l'œil'' File:SanSatiroInteriors.jpg, The interior of Santa Maria presso San Satiro,
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...
viewed from the nave File:SanSatiroInteriors3_crop.jpg, The trompe l'œil choir at Santa Maria presso San Satiro, by Donato Bramante, viewed from the side File:Chateau_Tanlay_galerie_trompe-l-oeil.jpg, Gallery painted in ''trompe-l'œil'' in the Château de Tanlay, France File:Interior of Teatro Olimpico (Vicenza)- Scaenae frons close-up - La porta regia.jpg, Detail of the forced perspective stage scenery of the
Teatro Olimpico The Teatro Olimpico ("Olympic Theatre") is a theatre in Vicenza, northern Italy, constructed in 1580–1585. The theatre was the final design by the Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio and was not completed until after his death. T ...
, as viewed through the ''porta reggia'' of the ''scaenae frons'',
Vicenza Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan. Vicenza is a thr ...
, northern Italy File:Painted Hall.jpg, The
Painted Hall The Old Royal Naval College is the architectural centrepiece of Maritime Greenwich, a World Heritage Site in Greenwich, London, described by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as being of "outstanding ...
at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich,
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
, designed by
Sir Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren PRS FRS (; – ) was one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history, as well as an anatomist, astronomer, geometer, and mathematician-physicist. He was accorded responsibility for rebuilding 52 churche ...
and
Nicholas Hawksmoor Nicholas Hawksmoor (probably 1661 – 25 March 1736) was an English architect. He was a leading figure of the English Baroque style of architecture in the late-seventeenth and early-eighteenth centuries. Hawksmoor worked alongside the principa ...
. The paintings by
Sir James Thornhill Sir James Thornhill (25 July 1675 or 1676 – 4 May 1734) was an English painter of historical subjects working in the Italian baroque tradition. He was responsible for some large-scale schemes of murals, including the "Painted Hall" at the Ro ...
comprise architectural trompes l'œil; for instance, the Corinthian columns look fluted whilst the far wall depicts
pilasters In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It consists of a flat surface raised from the main wal ...
and an
entablature An entablature (; nativization of Italian , from "in" and "table") is the superstructure of moldings and bands which lies horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and ...
. In practice none of these elements exist in the third dimension File:Henry G. Marquand House Conservatory Stained Glass Window.jpg, 19th-century stained-glass window made for the
Henry Gurdon Marquand Henry Gurdon Marquand (April 11, 1819 – February 26, 1902) was an American financier, philanthropist and art collector known for his extensive collection. Early life Marquand was born in New York City on April 11, 1819, not long after the deat ...
's mansion in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...


Use in films

*''
Singin' in the Rain ''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell and Cyd C ...
'' (1952) *'' Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' (1971) *''
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'' is a 1989 American action- adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas. It is the third installment in the ''Indiana Jones'' franchise and a s ...
'' (1989) *'' Where the Heart Is'' (1990) *'' Millennium Actress'' (2001) *''
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' (also simply known as ''Eternal Sunshine'') is a 2004 American romantic science fiction drama film written by Charlie Kaufman, directed by Michel Gondry, and starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. Pi ...
'' (2004) *''
Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typ ...
'' (2005) * ''Westworld'' (Season 1, Episode 7) (2016)


See also

* 2.5D - enhancement of 2-dimensional graphics by limited application of some 3D effects to them * Bump mapping, normal mapping and parallax mapping - graphical techniques used to add fake details that enhance 2D representations of 3D objects (in the context of that branch of computer graphics that aims to give a realistic 3D view on the screen) *
Camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...
* Marbling * Faux painting *
Photorealism Photorealism is a genre of art that encompasses painting, drawing and other graphic media, in which an artist studies a photograph and then attempts to reproduce the image as realistically as possible in another medium. Although the term can be ...
*
Anamorphosis Anamorphosis is a distorted projection requiring the viewer to occupy a specific vantage point, use special devices, or both to view a recognizable image. It is used in painting, photography, sculpture and installation, toys, and film special e ...
*
List of art techniques A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby union ...


Notes


External links


''Deceptions and Illusions''
National Gallery of Art exhibition on ''Trompe-l'œil'' paintings
''Trompe l'œil Tricks: Borges' Baroque Illusionism''
essay by Lois Parkinson Zamora comparing ''trompe-l'œil'' to the literature of
Borges Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo (; ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator, as well as a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature. His best-known bo ...

Custom trompe l'œil Paintings
Fresco Blog
murals.trompe-l-oeil.info
, More than 10 000 pictures and 1200 Outdoor murals of France and Europe

Avenue George V. Text and photography by Catherine-Alice Palagret
“The Mechanics of the Art World,” ''Vistas: Visual Culture in Spanish America, 1520-1820.''Trick Art Museum: Magic World Museum Barcelona
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trompe-L'oil Visual arts genres Architectural elements Artistic techniques Painting techniques Optical illusions Decorative arts Composition in visual art