Do you see what I see?

Illusion, Deception, Objective Reality vs. Subjective Reality...these are all words that come to mind when describing Trompe-l'oeil artwork.

Trompe-l’oeil, meaning "trick of the eye" is a fascinating genre in art that has been popular for thousands of years. In fact, the earliest trompe-l'oeil pieces are traced back to Greco-Roman mosaics, and the most recent are pieces created by current day artists. The artwork itself is a visual deception, but the most fasicnating concept of this exhibit is whether all the pieces were actually meant to be trompe-l'oeil or, perhaps simply, misunderstood.

What is it that makes a work of art a real trompe l’œil? One of the keys is obviously the artist’s intention: does he want the work of art to "deceive" the observer or, on the contrary, is his work simply an attempt to reproduce an environment faithfully and in a realistic fashion, as for instance with a still life or an anatomical model? The illusion or ambiguity factor is also important in establishing whether a work of art is a trompe l’œil or not. -http://www.inganniadartefirenze.it

The exciting part is deciding for yourself. Florence is now exhibiting this 3-month exhibit at Palazzo Strozzi, which is only about a 10 minute walk from our office. Tickets cost 10Euro, and the exhibit is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. until January 24th .
For more information you can visit the english version of the Palazzo Strozzi website here.