Trompe l’oeil is a French term meaning, literally, trick the eye.

It’s tricky to pronounce, too. The easiest way to say it is like “tromp loy”, rhyming with “pomp and joy”.

A mural is any painting that is painted on a wall (mur is French for wall).

Trompe l’oeil murals are usually painted on a flat surface, but with an illusion of it looking really three dimensional (3D). This takes a lot of skill by the artist to create geometric perspective and atmospheric perspective. If any part of the painting is incorrect, whether it’s colour, shape or perspective, the illusion is broken.

A good trompe l’oeil mural will make the viewer think that what they are looking at is real, that there is great depth in the wall, or that they could almost walk through the wall into the world behind.

But after a second glance (or sometimes if they touch the wall to prove it to themselves!) they realise that the image is not real at all.

For this reason, there is great joy in the illusion that the trompe l’oeil mural creates for the viewer.

Owners of a trompe l’oeil mural will have created a “wow” factor in their environment that will never cease to delight.

Want one? Call us now.