If you place yourself close to the Fuente de los Caballos (Fountain of the Horses) in Santiago de Compostela (Spain) and turn a complete 360 degrees, you’ll witness the southern façade of Santiago Cathedral, the steps leading up to the Quintana, the Casa del Cabildo (Guildhall House), and the Casa del Deán (Dean’s House). This square, named after the Silversmiths’ (Platerías) workshops that existed during the Middle Ages, feels as though every piece of a puzzle aligns flawlessly.
The optical illusion could only be noticed by an expert (or someone equally knowledgeable): the front of the Casa del Cabildo is merely that. A façade. Constructed in the latter part of the eighteenth century solely for decorative aims, the house is actually not more than three meters in depth. It’s nothing but a backdrop; a Baroque creation meant to decorate the Plaza de Platerías.
The history of art and architecture is full of examples of illusions intended to alter perception and make observers see things that don’t truly exist. Trompe l’oeils are another excellent example, using perspective to craft an illusion.
The origins of trompe l’oeils
The French term ‘trompe l’oeil’ is defined in the art-world, and directly translates as ‘a trick of the eye’. This deceptive art style involves producing a feeling of volume and depth on what is really a flat surface, achieved solely through paint. We might view optical illusions as a relatively new idea, but using perspectives to trick the eye dates back thousands of years.
One of the earliest mentions of a trompe l’oeil is from the fifth century BC and was later documented by Pliny the Elder around 400 years afterwards. As legend tells it, two Greek painters—Zeuxis and Parrhasius—had both attained great fame and wanted to determine who was more skilled. They decided on a contest: the winner would be the one who could paint the most lifelike mural.
Zeuxis astonished Parrhasius with a painting of grapes so true-to-life that birds came to peck at the ‘fruit’. Confident he had won, Zeuxis asked his competitor to draw back the curtain to unveil his artwork. At that moment, Parrhasius declared himself the winner. The curtain was not real: it was merely a painting on the wall. He argued that although the grapes fooled the birds, his curtain successfully tricked Zeuxis himself.
Like Parrhasius’ curtain, trompe l’oeils were prevalent in the Classical era, especially in Pompeian-style murals. This notion of deceiving the eye with volume and perspective reemerged during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, a time when painting techniques were refined.
Trompe l’oeil at Calahorra Cathedral simulating a monk opening a shutter. Gato.Cuantico (Wikimedia Commons)
Over the centuries, trompe l’oeils have been employed to mimic columns, windows, moldings, cornices, foliage, and even people—both indoors and out. Sometimes, these elements give balance to the compositions, while other times, they merely serve to deceive, embellish, or create a bond between the artist and the viewers of their work.
From Roman churches to Banksy artworks
One of the most iconic churches of the Baroque period in Rome also provides a great illustration of how a painting can change our perception of architecture. The church of San Ignacio de Loyola features a dome that doesn’t truly exist.
The artist and architect Andrea Pozzo painted a 17-meter wide canvas in perspective to instill a sense of depth in his work. The illusion becomes obvious only when you view the artwork from the side of the church, where the dome reveals to be entirely flat.
False dome of San Ignacio de Loyola. Carmelo Peciña (Flickr).
Many palaces, churches, and other historical buildings showcase trompe-l’oeil and other visual tricks. They can also be seen in numerous houses and structures in towns and cities. Examples are the works of Extremaduran painter Alberto Pirrongelli on the streets of Madrid and pieces by French artist Patrick Commecy.
Patrick Commecy’s trompe-l’oeil in Bèziers, France. Neohamsa (Wikimedia Commons).
The trompe l’oeil method of the past continues today, in the form of large decorative murals that employ perspective tomerge actuality with artwork. In the hamlet of Romangordo, Cáceres (Spain), the illustrations summon representations of a disappearing lifestyle that yet persists in the recollection of many of its inhabitants.
Mural in Romangordo. Romangordo Town Hall.
Besides murals, these deceptive artworks continue to be prevalent in paintings, notably in portraits and still lifes. Their allure remains undiminished today. In 2006, a Banksy composition emerged on a wall on Chalk Farm Road in North London. Sweep It Under the Carpet is more than an optical illusion; it’s a social commentary on destitution and disparity. The piece lingered for several months but was ultimately painted over.
Banksy paintings in London. Vaishal Dalal (Wikimedia Commons).
In truth, you don’t have to travel far to discover these subtle deceptions: they’re ubiquitous. They adorn structures which are nothing more than façades, street art, movies and shorts, architectural features, and even culinary presentations that aren’t initially what they appear to be. But you’ll only uncover them if you scrutinize attentively.