DECEMBER 2008 » book review

Tricking the Eye, Italian Style

Trompe L'Oeil: Italy Ancient And Modern
by Ursula E. and Martin Benad
W. W. Norton & Company, New York, NY; 2008
96 pp; softcover; numerous color illustrations; $24.95
ISBN 978-0-393-73241-2

Reviewed by Nicole V. Gagné

It is time to join the chorus of praise sung for Ursula and Martin Benad, the celebrated husband-and-wife duo behind Munich's decorative-painting and interior-design studio, Atelier Benad. The Benads are also the authors of W.W. Norton's prestigious series on trompe l'oeil, and to their books Trompe L'Oeil Today, Trompe L'Oeil Sky And Sea, and Trompe L'Oeil Grisaille: Architecture And Drapery, we can add Trompe L'Oeil: Italy Ancient And Modern. Their expertise in both the history and the techniques of this fascinating, often mischievous approach to interior decorative painting are on superb display in this new publication.

"In trompe l'oeil paintings," the Benads explain, "objects and landscapes are presented so that they - with some good will - might be taken for real. The painted figures have to be woven into the room; they need to be placed so that their representation inside the home is credible." The term may be French (literally, "trick the eye"), but the Benads are quite right to turn to Italy for some of the earliest and most impressive examples. Ancient Pompeii produced numerous outstanding efforts in trompe l'oeil, and it is in the ruins of that city (wiped out by the volcanic eruptions of Mt. Vesuvius over two days in the year 79 CE) that their impressive survey begins.

They trace Pompeian trompe l'oeil techniques to an early form that thrived from circa 200 to 80 BCE: stucco walls painted to imitate marble. This first "structured" style was followed by the "architectural" style – enlivening the walls with painted columns, pedestals, etc. – which flourished until about 20 BCE. Out of this approach grew the innovative "ornamental" style, with the faux architectural elements eschewing realistic locations and designs: "The painted columns don't have to 'carry' anything; they become thin filigree, plant stems, and candelabras. The architectural painting in the upper part of the wall is miniaturized and fantastic." That last word is the key to the next stage in trompe l'oeil painting.

Although the third stage dominated in Pompeii until about 60 CE, a fourth had been engendered by around 50 BCE: the "fantasy" or "illusionistic" style, which reigned until the city's demise at the end of the 70s. That brief frenzy of trompe l'oeil work would define this art for the world ever after: "The colors [...] become lurid and full of contrast. We see temple-like mounting constructions, inlaid pictures, statuettes, small landscapes, and simulated reliefs. [...] Many vanishing points draw the eye here and there, confusing rather than drawing the viewer into a homogeneous faux room." Painted window frames look out onto painted natural vistas or imaginary interior rooms or stylized theatrical spaces. The inner longings and values and aspirations of the inhabitants take on a vivid and dramatic exterior life, albeit a vitality that enjoys only two dimensions.

It's like a riddle: What is it that has only height and width and yet contains depth? Trompe l'oeil, above and beyond any effects of forced perspective or distant horizons or vanishing points, inevitably has both aesthetic and psychological depth. It is a phantom presence that bespeaks the existence of something real and important to the people who see it and live with it.

After the ancients, the great leap in trompe l'oeil painting came during the Renaissance, when late-Quattrocento Italian artists took to executing elaborate ceiling frescoes with all the knowledge and skills that had been amassed over generations of developments in perspective drawing. The role of landscape painting in trompe l'oeil is similarly linked to the fascination for painting the Italian landscape in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the ensuing years, landscapes both real and imaginary became a staple of trompe l'oeil painting, along with seascapes and street scenes. Teasing effects of realistically painted curtains or window shades that are partially open became a frequent touch, and added to the realism of the trompe l'oeil vistas.

To the Benads' credit, this impressive book is much more than just a thoughtful historical survey. Trompe L'Oeil: Italy Ancient And Modern is replete with sample projects, painting techniques, color palettes and more. These renowned artists give some basic lessons in changing depth of field to two-dimensional ornament, creating faux mosaics, conceptualizing composition and pictorial design, guiding the viewer's attention, placing shadows to create depth and the sensation of an alternate light source, and even the fine details of painting distant trees or close-up drapery. If this book doesn't have you running at your walls with your own paint brushes, it will certainly tell you everything you need to know to plan and oversee the work of professional trompe l'oeil artists. Whether your interest in trompe l'oeil is aesthetic or historical, whether you're an artist, an interior designer, or a homeowner with a yen for something extra in your home, you will find yourself referring to this book over and over again. And as with a great trompe l'oeil painting, you'll discover something new and beautiful in it with every perusal. TB

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