1. A style of painting in which objects are rendered in extremely realistic detail, giving an illusion of reality.2. A painting, mural, etc. made in this style.
Examples of trompe l'oeil: http://trompe-l-oeil-art.com/
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus 3: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=trompe+l'oeil
"Good trompe-l'oeil work is magical. It persuades you that the subject of the mural is real, that you are indeed seeing a view of smoking Mount St Helens, or a formal baroque garden glimpsed through a filigree-screen gateway, or a stretch of beach on a windy day."
Stephen Anderton; When we Practise to Deceive; The Times (London, UK); Jan 4, 2003."Though these trompe l'oeil pieces are certainly art, they are not meant to stand alone or stick out the way a conventional piece of art might. The skill in placing a piece of trompe l'oeil is to make it become part of a setting."
Maureen DePatie; Use Your Trompe Card; Calgary Herald (Canada); Aug 25, 2001.
Permalink:
http://wordsmith.org/words/trompe_loeil.html