trompe-l'œil
Fooling the eye
Trompe-l'œil is a style of painting designed to create the illusion of three-dimensional reality—a flat surface made to look like an open window, a recessed alcove, or objects you could reach out and touch.
The French term means "deceives the eye." The technique appears in murals, architectural decoration, and gallery paintings: The trompe-l'œil doorway fooled guests into walking toward a solid wall.
Appearance of being factual
- hyperrealismTheory of simulation dominance
- lifelikeResembling the real thing
- photorealismArt imitating camera accuracy
- naturalismWorldview excluding the supernatural
fidelity · precision · detail · exactness · replica · imitation · reproduction · facsimile
Art of visual deception
- anamorphosisDeliberately warped image
- foreshorteningDepicting depth through size
- chiaroscuroContrast technique in painting
- grisaillePainting solely in greys
impasto · glazing · stippling · brushwork · perspective · vanishing point · depth · dimensionality
Misleading visual perception
- mirageAtmospheric optical deception
- deceptionIntentional misleading of others
- trickDeliberate deception
- artificeClever deceptive strategy
sleight · simulacrum · phantasm · apparition · figment · chimera · hallucination · fantasy
Art on interior surface
- frescoWet plaster painting technique
- ceiling paintingArt on upper surface
- public artAccessible outdoor creative works
- Diego RiveraMexican mural master
Pompeii · palazzo · baroque · rococo · church interior
Stand for game tiles
- violinBowed string instrument
- skullHead's bone casing
- flyTwo-winged buzzing insect
- torn paperRipped sheet material
niche · shelf · cabinet · vanitas · still life · shadow box · wood grain
Where parallels appear to meet
- horizon lineApparent earth-sky junction
- foreshorteningDepicting depth through size
- convergenceProcess of approaching sameness
- three-dimensionalHaving volume and depth
geometry · viewpoint · angle · projection · axonometric · isometric · distortion · recession
verisimilitude
Appearance of being factual
- hyperrealismTheory of simulation dominance
- lifelikeResembling the real thing
- photorealismArt imitating camera accuracy
naturalism · fidelity · precision · detail · exactness · replica · imitation · reproduction · facsimile · authenticity
illusionism
Art of visual deception
- anamorphosisDeliberately warped image
- foreshorteningDepicting depth through size
- chiaroscuroContrast technique in painting
grisaille · impasto · glazing · stippling · brushwork · perspective · vanishing point · depth · dimensionality · shading
optical illusion
Misleading visual perception
- mirageAtmospheric optical deception
- deceptionIntentional misleading of others
- trickDeliberate deception
artifice · sleight · simulacrum · phantasm · apparition · figment · chimera · hallucination · fantasy · conjuring
wall painting
Art on interior surface
- frescoWet plaster painting technique
- ceiling paintingArt on upper surface
- public artAccessible outdoor creative works
Diego Rivera · Pompeii · palazzo · baroque · rococo · church interior
letter rack
Stand for game tiles
torn paper · niche · shelf · cabinet · vanitas · still life · shadow box · wood grain
vanishing point
Where parallels appear to meet
- horizon lineApparent earth-sky junction
- foreshorteningDepicting depth through size
- convergenceProcess of approaching sameness
three-dimensional · geometry · viewpoint · angle · projection · axonometric · isometric · distortion · recession · orthogonal
trompe-l'œilabstraction
Distilling to essential qualities
abstract art · minimalism · abstract expressionism · suprematism · expressionism