Trompe l'oeil

Trompe l'oeil

The term 'trompe l'oeil' comes from the French words 'tromper' (to deceive) and 'l'oeil' (the eye): a trick of the eye. The term is used to describe a painting which is so realistic that the viewer can scarcely tell whether it is real or painted. To achieve a trompe l'oeil effect, the artist usually has to show exactly the right perspective, with shadows that appear believable and really do deceive the eye. In the seventeenth century, the trompe l'oeil became something of a rage. Artists such as Carel Fabritius and Gerard Dou invented ingenious 'perspectives' or painted 'curtains' that appeared to cover the painting. Jacob de Wit was another artist who enjoyed tricking his audience with illusions and imitations of reliefsReliefThe word 'relief' is taken from the Latin 'relevare', meaning 'to raise'. In a relief design or sculpture, parts of the object are raised. In a work of art this might be a depiction, but it also includes the background. In a relief the foreground merges into the background. There are several kinds of relief. If less than half the depiction projects from the surface it is a low relief or 'basso rilievo'; 'mezzo rilievo' is when half the volume of the figures projects from the surface; if more than half is shown the term is high relief, or 'alto rilievo'. Inverted relief, in which the depiction is carved into the surface, is known as 'cavo rilievo' or hollow relief..