Images of deception

Trompe-l'oeil is that intriguing art which, by means of special technical devices, tricks the spectator into the illusion that what he sees is not painted, but real. This peculiar and very particular form of art holds the appeal of a conjuror's sleight-of-hand, of a hall of mirrors in which the image proceeds into infinity; and it commands our lasting admiration by virtue of the consummate skill required for it to succeed -- in particular, the mastery of the laws of geometry and perspective necessary to achieve a vividly three-dimensional effect. Applied to architecture, where it flourished especially in the Baroque age, trompe-l'oeil is used to enlarge and bring an element of fantasy to a room. By the aid of its magic, we may be tempted to walk down a corridor that does not exist, or brush away a painted fly. The Romans decorated the walls of their villas with theatrical perspectives, but the art was lost during the Dark Ages, only to be fully recovered during the Renaissance. It flowered during the Baroque age, and has continued to be practiced ever since. Trompe-l'oeil started to develop in America at the beginning of the 19th century; in the 20th century the Surrealists revived the public interest in it by infusing new life into the traditional concept. The author here looks at the history of trompe-l'oeil, illustrating and discussing some of the most striking examples in European and American art. - Jacket flap.