English Trompe l'oeil I- Masterpiece Jigsaw Puzzle
Laurel Ink 500 piece puzzles measure 18" x 24".
Retail $12.95

English Trompe l'oeil I (from back of puzzle box)
The art form of "trompe l'oeil" translates literally from French to mean "deceives the eye." This ancient art from does just that by giving the illusion that a flat surface is actually three-dimensional. Artists have proven that, with the mastery of this highly technical and detailed skill, they can make the flattest of surfaces appear to have realistic depth. The technique of trompe l'oeil can be dated back to the fifth century B.C. in Athens. From Natural History, Pliny the Elder writes, "Parrhasios, it is recorded, entered into a competition with Zeuxis, who produced a picture of grapes so successfully represented that birds flew up to the stage buildings [in the theater, which served at that time as a public art gallery]; where upon Parrhasios himself produced such a realistic picture of a curtain that Zeuxis, proud of the verdict of the birds, requested that the curtain should now be drawn and the picture displayed; and when he realized his mistake, with a modesty that did him honor he yielded up the prize, saying that whereas he had deceived the birds, Parrhasios had deceived him, an artist."

After the sixteenth century, still life and illusionistic representation was practiced and refined by Dutch, Spanish, Italian and German artists. Since then, the technique of trompe l'oeil has been learned, practiced and developed throughout the world. It has even been believed that Rembrandt's students painted coins on the floor of his studio simply for the joy of watching him bend down and try to retrieve them.

New: factory packaged/shrink wrapped 14"x14" boxed.

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