Optical Phenomenon Collection

The Mirage in the Desert (engraving)
8658621 The Mirage in the Desert (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Mirage in the Desert)

Princess and attendant in trompe l'oeil window, c.1765 (opaque w/c and gold on paper)
XOS5874007 Princess and attendant in trompe l'oeil window, c.1765 (opaque w/c and gold on paper) by Khan, Aqil (active mid-1700s); 12.5x7.8 cm; Cleveland Museum of Art, OH

3540 3
VEN5027197 3540 3; (add.info.: Salle de l'histoire d'Ulysse. Fresque de Pellegrino Tibaldi (ou Tibaldo) dit il Pellegrini (1530-1596). Detail de la voute. Palazzo Poggi, Bologne

A man and two women photographed around 1900 at a fair, driving a fake car painted in trompe l'oeil (Rolls Royce)
PCT4256954 A man and two women photographed around 1900 at a fair, driving a fake car painted in trompe l'oeil (Rolls Royce) (photo); © Patrice Cartier. All rights reserved 2023.

Apollo playing the Cithare (Apollo citharede). Trompe l'oeil fresco. Anonymous
VEN5027644 Apollo playing the Cithare (Apollo citharede). Trompe l'oeil fresco. Anonymous. Palazzo Ferrari, Piacenza (Piacenza).; (add.info.: Apollo playing the Cithare (Apollo citharede)

Hercules (Heracles) received in Olympus, 1780. Ceiling fresco of Palazzo Malvezzi, Bologna
VEN5027251 Hercules (Heracles) received in Olympus, 1780. Ceiling fresco of Palazzo Malvezzi, Bologna. Artwork by Ubaldo Gandolfi (1728-1781) and David Zanotti.; (add.info)

The ceiling painted by Hippolyte Berteaux, the official painter of the city of Nantes, was inaugurated in 1881
ETI4396865 The ceiling painted by Hippolyte Berteaux, the official painter of the city of Nantes, was inaugurated in 1881

View of the valut of the Room of Ulysses, Palazzo della Prefettura, Bergamo, Italy (photo)
2654973 View of the valut of the Room of Ulysses, Palazzo della Prefettura, Bergamo, Italy (photo); (add.info.: Bergamo, Palazzo della Prefettura: the vault of the Hall of Ulysses)

Wallpaper design by Joseph Dufour et Cie, Macon, France, c.1800-27 (wallpaper)
BAL112375 Wallpaper design by Joseph Dufour et Cie, Macon, France, c.1800-27 (wallpaper); Deutsches Tapetenmuseum, Kassel, Germany.

An engraving depicting sun dogs, and solar rainbows. A sun dog is an atmospheric optical phenomenon that consists of a
5311255 An engraving depicting sun dogs, and solar rainbows. A sun dog is an atmospheric optical phenomenon that consists of a bright spot to the left or right of the Sun

Ceiling frescoes of the Hall of Cardinals, Collegio San Carlo. Modene
VEN5027572 Ceiling frescoes of the Hall of Cardinals, Collegio San Carlo. Modene; Fondazione San Carlo, Collegio San Carlo, Modena, Italy; (add.info.: Ceiling frescoes of the Hall of Cardinals)

Secession War or American Civil War (1861-1865): a Quaker cannon, a tree trunk cut and painted to appear as a cannon
NWI4831745 Secession War or American Civil War (1861-1865): a Quaker cannon, a tree trunk cut and painted to appear as a cannon, a Manassas (Virginia)

Trompe l'Oeil Still Life, c.1754 (gouache, tempera? and w/c)
XOS5874072 Trompe l'Oeil Still Life, c.1754 (gouache, tempera? and w/c) by Meyer, Jacobus Cornelis (18th century); 37.3x27.4 cm; Cleveland Museum of Art, OH

The ceiling painted by Hippolyte Berteaux, the official painter of the city of Nantes, was inaugurated in 1881
ETI4396862 The ceiling painted by Hippolyte Berteaux, the official painter of the city of Nantes, was inaugurated in 1881

Dictionary: Anamorphosis, in Perspective and Painting (engraving)
8636638 Dictionary: Anamorphosis, in Perspective and Painting (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Anamorphosis, in Perspective and Painting)

Cosimo I de' Medici (Cosimo) represented in Apollo surrounded by glory and virtue in the presence of Hercules
BEN5468509 Cosimo I de' Medici (Cosimo) represented in Apollo surrounded by glory and virtue in the presence of Hercules, a Nymph and Atlas

Two young women driving a car, early 20th century (b/w photo)
PCT5618254 Two young women driving a car, early 20th century (b/w photo); (add.info.: Two young women driving a car: photograph with trompe-l'oeil decoration taken in a studio at the beginning of)

Apollo playing the Cithare (Apollo citharede). Anonymous mural. Palazzo Ferrari, Piacenza (Piacenza)
VEN5027664 Apollo playing the Cithare (Apollo citharede). Anonymous mural. Palazzo Ferrari, Piacenza (Piacenza).; (add.info.: Apollo playing the Cithare (Apollo citharede). Anonymous mural

Faience Stannifere Trompe l'oeil Dish with Large Fire Design Polychrome Diameter 23 cm Musee Grobet Labadie
JEB4903085 Faience Stannifere Trompe l'oeil Dish with Large Fire Design Polychrome Diameter 23 cm Musee Grobet Labadie Marseille; Musee Grobet-Labadie, Marseille

France, Photographic business card showing a trompe l'oeil of Trombine and Binette of 4 characters, 1863
LUX4731766 France, Photographic business card showing a trompe l'oeil of Trombine and Binette of 4 characters, 1863; (add.info.: France)

The apotheosis of Hercules (fresco)
BEN5461408 The apotheosis of Hercules (fresco) by Ricci, Sebastiano (1658-1734); Palazzo Marucelli-Fenzi, Florence, Italy; (add.info.: The apotheosis of Hercules)

France, Photographic business card showing a trompe l'oeil de pierrot et pigombine, 1863
LUX4731780 France, Photographic business card showing a trompe l'oeil de pierrot et pigombine, 1863; (add.info.: France)

France: Fair photo showing a trompe l'oeil representing two gendarmes driving an alcoholic to the station, 1925
LUX4723894 France: Fair photo showing a trompe l'oeil representing two gendarmes driving an alcoholic to the station, 1925; (add.info.: France)

France: 2 men pose in a trumpe the fairground representing a car, 1910
LUX4773466 France: 2 men pose in a trumpe the fairground representing a car, 1910; (add.info.: France: 2 men pose in a trumpe the fairground representing a car, 1910); Photo © Lux-in-Fine.

Ceiling of the Comedie Francaise, Painting by Alexis de Mazerolles (19th century), Paris, France
ETI4396867 Ceiling of the Comedie Francaise, Painting by Alexis de Mazerolles (19th century), Paris, France.; (add.info.: Ceiling of the Comedie Francaise)

The 'Cappella Paolina', view of the altar wall, designed by Carlo Maderno (1556-1629) 1617 (photo)
BEN110314 The 'Cappella Paolina', view of the altar wall, designed by Carlo Maderno (1556-1629) 1617 (photo); Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome, Italy; Photo © Raffaello Bencini.

Card Rack with a Jack of Hearts, c.1895 (oil on canvas)
XOS5878804 Card Rack with a Jack of Hearts, c.1895 (oil on canvas) by Peto, John Frederick (1854-1907); 95.9x83.2 cm; Cleveland Museum of Art, OH, USA; (add.info.: Painting by John F)

The Mirage, An Incident of Desert Travel (engraving)
8669245 The Mirage, An Incident of Desert Travel (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Mirage, An Incident of Desert Travel)

The 'Cappella della Annunciata' (Chapel of the Annunciation) designed by Flaminio Ponzio (c.1560-1613)
BEN110324 The 'Cappella della Annunciata' (Chapel of the Annunciation) designed by Flaminio Ponzio (c.1560-1613) detail of ceiling vault by Guido Reni (1575-1642) 1610 (photo)

The 'Sala delle Prospettive' (Hall of Perspective) designed by Baldassarre Peruzzi (1481-1536) c.1510 (photo)
BEN107218 The 'Sala delle Prospettive' (Hall of Perspective) designed by Baldassarre Peruzzi (1481-1536) c.1510 (photo); Villa Farnesina, Rome, Italy; Photo © Raffaello Bencini.

Mirages (painting)
7432256 Mirages (painting) by Astrup, Nikolai (1880-1928); 48x56 cm; (add.info.: Nikolai Astrup (1880-1928)); Photo © O. Vaering

Virgin and Child with St. Helena and St. Francis (oil on panel)
NGW184293 Virgin and Child with St. Helena and St. Francis (oil on panel) by Aspertini, Amico (c.1474-1552); 85.5x71.1 cm; National Museum Wales; National Museums & Galleries of Wales

Dancing Satyr, from the Villa of Mysteries, 1st century BC (fresco)
IND106389 Dancing Satyr, from the Villa of Mysteries, 1st century BC (fresco) by Roman (1st century AD); Area archeologica di Pompei, Naples, Campania, Italy; Index Fototeca

Frescos on the walls of the Pentheus room, House of the Vettii, 1st century AD (photo)
IND113535 Frescos on the walls of the Pentheus room, House of the Vettii, 1st century AD (photo) by Roman (1st century AD); The Palatine, Rome, Italy; (add.info.: LtoR Punishment of Dirce)

A painted urn in a niche in the staircase hall, Kings Weston House, Bristol
CLF327768 A painted urn in a niche in the staircase hall, Kings Weston House, Bristol, from The Country Houses of Sir John Vanbrugh by Jeremy Musson

The Saloon, looking north-west, Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, from The Country Houses of Sir John Vanbrugh by Jeremy
CLF327716 The Saloon, looking north-west, Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, from The Country Houses of Sir John Vanbrugh by Jeremy Musson, published 2008 (b/w photo) by English Photographer

A baroque ceiling on the ground floor at Radnor House, Middlesex, from England's Lost Houses by Giles Worsley
CLF311800 A baroque ceiling on the ground floor at Radnor House, Middlesex, from England's Lost Houses by Giles Worsley (1961-2006) published 2002 (b/w photo) by English Photographer

Trompe-l'oeil paintings in the dining room at Sezincote, Gloucestershire
CLF320660 Trompe-l'oeil paintings in the dining room at Sezincote, Gloucestershire, from Country Houses of the Cotswolds (b/w photo) by English Photographer

The Ambassadors, 1533 (oil on panel)
JLJ4678279 The Ambassadors, 1533 (oil on panel) by Holbein the Younger, Hans (1497/8-1543); 207x209 cm; National Gallery, London

The prophet Isaiah and an Angel, dome of the sacristy of Saint Mark, Santuario della Santa Casa, Loreto
DEX5040780 The prophet Isaiah and an Angel, dome of the sacristy of Saint Mark, Santuario della Santa Casa, Loreto, 15th century (fresco) by Forli, Melozzo da (1438-94); Santuario della Santa Casa

Book of Hours, vol 137, 2v, 16th century (Bound in red velour, with metal corners)
6333412 Book of Hours, vol 137, 2v, 16th century (Bound in red velour, with metal corners) by Flemish School, (16th century); 209x142 cm; Courtesy of the Trustees of Sir John Soane's Museum

Borromini perspective or colonnade, Spada gallery, Rome, Italy
7128884 Borromini perspective or colonnade, Spada gallery, Rome, Italy by Borromini, Francesco (1599-1667); Galleria Spada, Rome, Lazio, Italy; (add.info.: Borromini perspective or colonnade 1632)

The prophet Jeremiah and an angel, dome of the sacristy of Saint Mark, Santuario della Santa Casa, Loreto, c
DEX5040782 The prophet Jeremiah and an angel, dome of the sacristy of Saint Mark, Santuario della Santa Casa, Loreto, c.1477-93 (fresco) by Forli, Melozzo da (1438-94); Santuario della Santa Casa

The Triumph of Christianity, in the Room of Constantine, Raphael Rooms, c. 1585 (fresco)
SBL426308 The Triumph of Christianity, in the Room of Constantine, Raphael Rooms, c.1585 (fresco) by Laureti, Tommaso (c.1530-1602); Vatican Museums and Galleries

Fisherman's Paradise, 1941 (oil on canvas)
3081872 Fisherman's Paradise, 1941 (oil on canvas) by Atherton, John Carleton (1900-52); 61x76.8 cm; Shelburne Museum, Vermont, USA; (add.info.: Rustic still life)

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"Unveiling the Illusion: Exploring Optical Phenomenon in Art and Architecture" Step into a world where reality blurs with imagination, as optical phenomenon takes center stage. From the grandeur of Kings Weston House to the opulence of Blenheim Palace, these country houses showcase the mastery of Sir John Vanbrugh, captivating us with their painted urns and baroque ceilings. Intriguing our senses further are the trompe-l'oeil paintings adorning the dining room at Sezincote, transporting us into a realm where walls come alive. These clever illusions challenge our perception and leave us questioning what is real and what is mere artistry. Delving deeper into history, we encounter masterpieces such as "The Ambassadors, " an enigmatic painting that conceals hidden meanings within its intricate details. The prophet Isaiah and an Angel grace the dome of Saint Mark's sacristy in Loreto, their frescoes evoking divine beauty that seems almost tangible. Turning pages through time, we discover illuminated manuscripts like the Book of Hours bound in luxurious red velour with metal corners - treasures from centuries past that continue to mesmerize with their intricate craftsmanship. The Ghent Altarpiece reveals its secrets through Erythraean Sibyl and Cumaean Sibyl; oil on panel masterpieces that transport us back to 15th-century Flanders. Their ethereal presence enchants viewers as they emerge from within this magnificent artwork. Venturing beyond Europe's borders, we find ourselves immersed in Rome's Spada gallery. Borromini's perspective or colonnade challenges our understanding of space itself - an architectural marvel designed to deceive our eyes while leaving us awe-inspired by its ingenuity. Returning once more to Saint Mark's sacristy in Loreto, we witness another breathtaking fresco depicting The prophet Jeremiah alongside an angel. This celestial scene invites contemplation on faith and the divine, its brushstrokes breathing life into the sacred space.