Trompe L 'Oeil is an illusion.

The idea of Trompe L 'Oeil is to make the world a better place, by painting what is not there. Where decorative painting just embellishes a surface Trompe l'oeil attempts to give a convincing three-dimensional effect through the careful use of shading and modeling.

Trompe l'oeil is, of course, French and it means, "that which deceives the eye."

This deception depends on an artist’s ability to represent something so unmistakably that it seems to be real. Walls and doors, portals and other architectural features particularly lend themselves to this technique. In addition to painting a scene, an artist can continue the illusion by painting a frame or window or an entire wall so that the illusion is complete. The movie industry and theater use trompe l'oeil techniques to create backgrounds and scenery ?mattes? so realistic that you have probably never noticed.

This style dates as far back as 400 B. C. when it was part of the rich culture of the Greek and Roman Empires. Some of the earliest examples we have today come from the tile floors and frescoes at Pompeii and Herculaneum, preserved by the eruptions of Vesuvius that covered those cities with ash. The technique flourished during the Renaissance and has experienced periods of popularity in the years since.

Advancements in the science of optics and the fifteenth-century refinement of the rules of perspective gave artists the ability to render objects and space with almost magical results. Often humorous and always surprising, trompe l'oeil is a game between artists and spectators played with the tools of light.

In his Natural History, Pliny the Elder tells of a rivalry between the artists Zeuxis and Parrhasius. Zeuxis drew back the drapes that covered his painting and birds flew down from the sky to peck at the painted grapes. He then turned to his opponent in triumph and said, "Draw back the curtain and reveal your painting." However, Parrhasius had won because the curtains were actually part of his painting.

Another story, surely apocryphal, tells that when Giotto was still an assistant in the studio, he painted a fly on the end of the nose of a man in a painting that was in process. When the master returned, he spent several minutes trying to brush the fly off the canvas before realizing it was painted on.

In the 18th Century, still lifes that popularized the term trompe l'oeil became popular. These often showed hunting equipment, guns, and trophies. Other trompe l'oeil fashions were ultra-realistic floral arrangements or art objects, paintings of musical instruments and music. Shelves full of objects and cupboards filled with books or objects were also popular subjects.

Immigrants brought trompe l’oeil, to the America. Paint was used to make simple furnishings and buildings look better. This lead to wood graining -painting the grain of an expensive wood on cheaper wood such as pine, and marbling, where wood or concrete is painted to look like marble. The Surrealists revived trompe l'oeil painting but as an intellectual game instead of decoration.Trompe l'oeil distinguishes itself from ordinary mural painting by its intent to deceive. The technical skill of the artist should be to be undetected and by using perspective, the clever use of light and realistic colors, the viewer is led to believe that the surface is not flat, or that a space exists where there is none.

Kevin and Carlo have combined ancient techniques and modern materials to make this style available in contemporary decoration.

Walsh Decorative Finishes • Sarasota. Florida • US • cell: 941-915-8749 • info@walshwalls.com