TROMPE LOEIL

When you think you dont have enough space or the wall has become a barrier between you and nature, and if you have the courage to use your imagination...with a little good will and artistic spirit the solution is only a paintbrush away and it is named Trompe l'oeil. Trompe l'oeil is a French phrase meaning "trick the eye". It is used to describe a style of painting which uses shading and perspective to make a two-dimensional painting actually look like a three-dimensional one, at least for a few moments. This genre of art has its origin in the Baroque period when it referred to perspectival illusionism. It looks as if three-dimensional objects are coming out of the wall. One of the most beautiful oft-told stories among artists concerns a contest between two renowned Greek painters of the 5th century BC, Zeuxis and Parrhasius. Zeuxis had produced a still life painting which looked so real and convincing that birds flew down from the sky to peck at the painted grapes. Having heard about this story, Parrhasius decided to make another painting in order to challenge his rival. When he had finished painting it, he invited Zeuxis to his studio. Zeuxis entered the studio and asked where the painting was. Parrhasius told him that it was right behind the tattered curtains at the end of the room, and when Zeuxis went to pull back the curtains he realized that he had lost the contest since they were actually Parrhasius's painting. The home is an indispensable good for everyone and looking after it is directly reflected in the welfare, comfort and peace that each one of us wants to a specific amount. After a tiring day of work or travel we often feel like saying: "home sweet home... Demographic movements in recent years have increased the demands for small houses; only a few square meters place where a family can settle. Space is important to let a house breathe but even in difficult conditions there is still something that can be done to create space without having to add some extra square meters. Trompe loeil, possibly one of the oldest and certainly one of the most obvious examples of humour in the art world is undergoing resurgence. It might depict a door, a porch by the river, a window overlooking a gorgeous garden of flowers even though we may be on the seventh floor of a building as well as many other interesting and personal elements that we decide to make part of our living space. Today there is an endless variety of choices and adding a personalized touch

to your home would be something really special. Indeed you would be amazed to see how many beautiful things can be done with a little fantasy and willpower

...and as Picasso would say: Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.