Terms and conditions of use
Trompe l'oeil
(1770s)
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
60.5 × 45.6 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Krystyna Campbell-Pretty through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program, 2018
Gallery location
18th Century Decorative Arts & Paintings Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work
Trompe l’oeil belongs to the still-life tradition known as quodlibet – ‘what pleases’ – works. In musical parlance, a quodlibet is a combination of melodies; however, as an art term, this expression refers to a trompe l’oeil painting that depicts a group of objects attached to a wooden surface. Jean Valette-Falgores’ painting presents exactly this. At the centre of the composition, a red ribbon pinned across three wooden planks holds in place an item of official correspondence, a portrait drawing, a pair of scissors in a green and gold case and a black feather writing quill. Elsewhere, nails and pins
suspend other drawings or prints, a key, an embroidered pouch, an ivory flute, a measuring divider or compass and a magnifying glass.
Artwork Details
Subjects (general)
Still Lifes Utilitarian Objects
Subjects (specific)
butterflies (general) callipers flutes (aerophones) illusionism keys (hardware) plank (wood) scissors trompe-l'oeil