An art technique that uses realistic imagery to create optical illusions that deceive the eye into perceiving painted objects as three-dimensional. The goal is to make viewers question what is real versus what is painted.
From French meaning 'deceive the eye,' combining 'tromper' (to deceive) and 'l'oeil' (the eye). The technique has ancient roots but was formalized as a term in the Baroque period when artists became masters of visual deception.
The most famous trompe-l'oeil might be the painted dome of Sant'Ignazio church in Rome - there's no actual dome at all, just a flat ceiling painted so convincingly that thousands of visitors crane their necks looking up at a non-existent architectural marvel! Baroque artists were basically the original special effects masters.
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