When you look at the image to your left what do you see? There is no question that the answer is a little boy. But why is it that this image has the ability to draw an immediate recognition? It is because of its realistic, life-like qualities. This painting, called Escaping Criticism by Pere Borrell del Caso, is an example of Tromp L’oeil. Tromp L’oeil is the art of painting realistically, so as to create an illusion. When translated, it literally means, “to fool the eye”. This is a technique that shows up in society frequently. It is the ultimate portrayal of visual texture and can be seen in architecture, sculpture, interior decorating, and paintings. However, if properly defined in terms of design, Tromp L’oeil brings a whole other meaning to “fooling the eye”. In order to understand such a theory, we must take a minute to turn down an opposite path and examine the style of abstraction.
Abstraction by definition translates as a visual representation that may have little resemblance to the real world. Abstraction can occur through a process of simplification or distortion in an attempt to communicate an essential aspect of a form or concept. In the art world, paintings, such as those of Pablo Picasso, have gained universal recognition as abstract art. But what if I was to tell you that del Caso’s Escaping Criticism could be categorized as an abstract work as well? How is this possible you might ask? It is possible because no matter how realistic an artistic illustration may appear, that image will always be just that—an image. No artist, no matter how skilled or careful, can possibly reproduce every detail of a natural subject. Therefore any painting could be called an abstraction.
The definition of Tromp L’eol has never held so much truth or so much irony. It is a style that is commonly defined as “deceptive painting” and indeed it has done just that in more ways than one. Not only has this style learned to “fool the eye” but it has learned to fool all in which its definition encompasses. This ironic design style is the perfect example of visual illusions. No matter how astounding an image is reproduced, it will always lack the entirety of its original, physical properties. My social design theory: it’s an abstract world, and we’re just living in it.
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