Le trompe-l’œil, Musée Marmottan Monet

 

Yesterday I went to see the new Trompe l’Oeil 👁️(fool the eye) exhibit

At musée Marmottan in the 16th arrondissement (Metro 9).

Have you been to the Marmottan? 

It’s one of Paris’ small, hidden gem 💎 museums that can be easily overlooked.

I’ve been M.I.A. My niece is in town, so I played tour guide 👉

Let the Trompe l’Oeil 👁️tour begin with an early Roman still life wall painting. Just for background info, not in the show by the way.

Michelangelo improved on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, creating lovely architectural additions that give the illusion of 3-dimensionality. Though some might prefer less bare bottom/derriere 🙈 

The exhibit begins with this classic example of a simple but exquisite bunch of grapes 🍇 by Nicolas de Largillière (1665-1746). They make you want to reach out and pick one.

Letter racks of faux collections of paper mementos came later on and were very popular. You could probably play the notes off the sheet of music 🎵so realistically rendered 🎨 

This faux/false back of a canvas has a ‘painted’ artist’s palette 🎨 extending beyond the frame.

To liven things up when painting mostly in a neutral color range the artist added small touches of red to lead 👉 your eye 👁️ around the picture plane.

These little touches of scarlet-vermillion red paint were très cher and always used judiciously, not wasting one tiny grain of pigment.

Not just painted grapes 🍇 to fool your eye, but a ceramic plate of life-like olives 🫒 

Or the plate of moules mariniere anyone?

How about this contemporary classic man’s white dress shirt (carved in marble!)

Trompe l’Oeil business men painted on a mirror to blend in with the crowd…

And a classroom full of women painters learning all the tricks of the trade from the master.

Paris loves to fool you, especially when they are renovating buildings…like all the time. 

Street artist JR had some fun with us last year.

The Opera Garnier is taking forever to complete. They keep changing the protective scrim. JR created a massive happening with live dancers 👯‍♀️ and a fabulous faux catastrophe!

I’ve tried my hand at painting the Paris Opera…but never ‘trompe l’oeil style. Too tight and detailed for moi. And I like to add a bear 🐻 or three 😊 The exhibit is on till March 2,2025 and great fun 🤸‍♂️

This is the totally REAL Christmas tree 🎄 at Galeries Lafayette…

And the très vrai la Seine…