Term: Trompe L'oeil

Trompe L'oeil is French for "deceive the eye". The term is used to describe an art technique where a realistic image create the illusion that the depicted objects really exist. The technique is often used in murals. A typical trompe-l'oeil mural might show a window, door, or hallway, intended to suggest a larger room. American masters of trompe l'oeil include William M. Harnett and John F. Peto.