French for "fools the eye". A type or technique of painting, usually in a mural, that is placed and detailed in such a way as to appear real. A mastery of perspective and lighting is required of the artist to make the illusion convincing.

Simple examples include painted edifices and columns or a textured brick wall on flat plaster, while more complicated trompe l'oeil may appear from afar to be a large gateway into a garden, a closed and locked door, a stairway to a well-attended bar, a professionally decorated living room, or a well-stocked refrigerator.