Trompe L’œil

This amusing painting, Pere Borell del Caso's Escaping Criticism (1874), is a perfect example of what the French call "trompe-l’œil", which literally means to deceive the eye. As most realistic art tries to deceive the eye, a better translation might be "witty illusion". The artist tries to amuse you by sharing the joke of his deception (title link). Another perfect example of trompe l’œil appeared in Banksy's exhibition in Bristol last year (CLICK). If you happen to be in Hamburg between 13 February and 24 May, visit the Bucerius Kunst Forum's exhibition Genuine Illusions: The Art of Trompe-l'œil, which traces the history of artistic illusions with 140 exhibits, from classical Rome to the present day (CLICK). Well worth a visit. (Note: we Brits don't bother with the hyphen, but everyone else does.)