
This can be viewed as an important part of the development of Illusionism art because it allowed artists to play around with space and depth not only in their paintings but in sculptures and architecture too. He studied lines and the spatial relationships between objects and buildings. There was a surge in new discoveries with regards to perspective and proportions, notably linear perspective, which was pioneered by architect, Filippo Brunelleschi, during the 1300s and 1400s. During the Renaissance period, this style of painting rapidly developed, and artists created new techniques alongside new media like oil paints to enhance all illusionistic effects, whether on a ceiling or on a wall. If we look at later examples from art history, we will also see Illusionism art was prominent in ceiling paintings.


This story has been utilized as an example to illustrate space and illusionism, and the act of Parrhasius “deceiving” Zeuxis is an example of the Illusion art definition.Ī drawing of the famous Greek painters, Zeuxis and Parrhasius of Ephesus, 1493 Rijksmuseum, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Thus, Zeuxis admitted defeat – he may have fooled birds, but Paarhasius had managed to fool Zeuxis himself. However, when Zeuxis asked Parrhasius to remove the curtain that was covering his painting, he then realized that the curtain itself was the painting. Both artists wanted to see who the best was, so Zeuxis painted grapes that appeared so real that even birds wanted to peck at them. In it, he describes a contest between two famous Greek painters, namely, Zeuxis and Parrhasius of Ephesus. Illusionism art can be found on the earliest fresco mural paintings seen in Greek homes in the forms of still lifes, in various scenes of people, and in paintings that appear almost a part of the real architectural structures of the interiors.Ī famous classical example is found in the book Natural History (77 AD) by the Roman author and philosopher, Pliny the Elder. This applies similarly to sculptures too, which are sculpted in such hyper-realistic manners that make them appear as if they will move at any minute.Ĭaracas Sphere by Jesús Soto, at the Jesús Soto Museum of Modern Art Guillermo Ramos Flamerich, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The rendering of the objects, still lifes, or scenes is in a three-dimensional manner that makes it appear real. It is often the depiction of an object on a flat, two-dimensional surface, but from the right angle, it appears to be three-dimensional. This is what Illusionism art is all about. Over time, the word evolved into what we typically associate with it today, and that is to play or trick our senses with optical illusions. The word “illusion” is derived from the Latin word ludere, which means “to play,” although the word has a history of its own, coming from other meanings like “to mock”. Below, we look at the Illusion art definition and a brief historical overview of how Optical Illusion art started. Illusion art, although it seems like a modern art form, has its roots in older forms of artwork dating back to the Classical times of Greek art, and has since evolved over time with new techniques to form a 3D Illusion art genre. 3.3 More Optical Illusion Art and Artists.
