Trompe l'Oeil, French term meaning "deceives the eye," applied to paintings or pictorial elements that achieve a convincing sense of three-dimensional reality.

This form of illusionism was practiced extensively in ancient Greek and Roman art. During the Renaissance (14th century to 17th century), artists used trick perspective to depict realistic-looking windows, doors, and other openings on walls and ceilings. In more recent times, trompe l'oeil was revived by 19th-century American still-life painter William Harnett.