Louis-Léopold Boilly, the art of trompe l'œil

Louis Leopold Boilly (1761-1845) might be considered as the inventor of the expression « trompe l’œil » on the occasion of the exhibition of an artwork which he calls by this name in 1800. The artsit uses oil paint to create the illusion of a artworks made from different techniques, playing with the different shades and folds, scratches, spots which are inspired directly from his own prints and drawings. This pictural effect is reinforced by the presence of frames and even fragments of broken glasses.

Louis-Léopold Boilly
*Trompe l’Oeil*, 1800
Oil on Canvas

In his first trompe l’œil made, the artist represent himself laughing as if he was amused by his own artistic trick and the reaction of the viewer discovering that this is actually an oil painting. Apart from amusing its viewer, the art of “trompe l’œil” serves the artist several purposes : first to demonstrate that painting can overtake the other techniques by imitating them, secondly to show off his talent and the fact that he can skillfully master different techniques at the same time in a same artwork.

Among the most famous “trompe l’œil” created by the French artist is an ivory and wood crucifix hanging on a wall sold in 2011 at Christie’s for 481,250£. This painting is not totally a religious subject – which are rare among Boilly works – but should be considered more as a representation of an religious object which almost looks like a photography thanks to the deep reliefs, subtile shadows and the perfect representation of ivory and wood materials.

Louis-Léopold Boilly
A *trompe-l'oeil* of an ivory and wood crucifix hanging on a wall
Signed, dated and inscribed 'L.Boilly. pinx: rue Meslée. no 12, A Paris.' (lower left, on the *cartellino*)
oil on canvas

However the cartel left on the bottom left of the artwork featuring also a shadow on the grey backgrounds is confusing and reminds the viewer that this artwork is well and truly a painting and not a sculpture.

Boilly especially mastered the art of imitating the black and white prints which he often associated with the representation of broken glass parts covering them in order to reinforce this deep illusion. These trompe l’oeil are therefore all the more realist as the imitation of reality is not on visual but becomes also tactile.