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Trompe l'Oeil  (Pronounced: Tromp-Loy) dates back as far as 400 B.C. and

was part of rich culture of the  Greek and Roman Empires.  Trompe l'Oeil

means "fool the eye" or  create illusion.      

(click twice on the image to see bigger picture)

    Above are some examples of my Trompe l'Oeil murals -  painted  illusions of balusters, frames, tiles, arches or curved stone(click on the image to see bigger picture).

   

  A story from ancient Greece.

 Two painters were rivals in a contest: each would try to make a picture that produced a more perfect illusion of the real world. One, named Zeuxis, painted a likeness of grapes so natural that birds flew down to peck at them. Then his opponent, Parrhasius brought in his picture covered in a cloth. Reaching out to lift the curtain, Zeuxis was stunned to discover he had lost the contest. What had appeared to be a cloth was in reality his rival's painting.

 Also...

It's reported that Rembrandt's student painted coins on the floor of the studio for the pleasure of watching him trying to pick them up.