Street Artist Creates Stunning Trompe-l’œil Mural in Apartment Building in the Netherlands

This Piece Depicts a Giant Bookcase Filled with the Residents’ Most Beloved Books!

We love street art. When it is done correctly, pieces of street art are nothing short of spectacular. From sarcastic comments to incredible murals we just wish they were more. And then there are optical illusions. A Trompe-l’œil, which is French for “to deceive the eye”. These pieces are almost always the most appreciated. People stop walking of bicycling to take a look. They can brighten your day or leave you in awe.

This piece of street art from Dutch artist Jan Is De Man, did both. Jan Is De Man, partnering up with Deef Feed, to create this stunning Trompe-l’œil mural in the town Utrecht, in the Netherlands.

The artist further explained about his project: “I know the people who live on the ground floor very well. They’ve wanted a mural by my hand for a while. They also wanted to let me feel free in my design as long as it would bring something positive to their neighborhood. The first idea was to paint a smiley. A huge smiley. Because I believe people become happier when they see a smiley every day. But this idea didn’t feel complete, and it felt too simple… visual illusions in art, especially as used to trick the eye into perceiving a painted detail as a three-dimensional object. I studied the shape of the house and the location where this house stands in, and suddenly the idea of making a huge bookcase hit me. I love making 3D art illusions on walls, and I like to see smiles on people’s faces and this idea (I thought meanwhile) could bring all this together.”