trompe l'oeil

noun (plural trompe l'oeils pronunc. same)

• visual illusion in art, especially as used to trick the eye into perceiving a painted detail as a three-dimensional object: look at the pillars and arches around the immense dome—they are trompe l'œil his love of classical trompe l'œil is sometimes a little precious [as modifier]:trompe l'œil architectural details trompe l'œil marble
• [count noun] a painting or design intended to create a visual illusion: she climbed up to paint a trompe l'œil over the brackets as camouflage