Art murals and trompe l’oeil paintings

Detail of a trompe l’oeil painting by Francesco Farolfi - Florence, 2014

Detail of a painting on canvas to be glued on a ceiling, by Francesco Farolfi - Firenze, 2013

"Deceptive walls"

Original and customized trompe l’oeil murals

Classical painting

Paintings and murals ispired by ancient style

I have been a fine art painter and paintings restorer for over 30 years.
I make my artworks for clients from all over the world.
Handmade wall painting is an important part of my job, as well as painting on canvas and frescos restoration

Deceiving the eye with illusionistic architectures

As the Pompeian frescoes show, since the origins the wall painting has the aim to suggest the optical illusion of an opening towards the outside, also thanks to the use of illusionistic architectures, called trompe l’oeil, from French: "deception of the eye", where perspective takes in consideration standpoint of the viewer

Francesco Farolfi beside his mural trompe l'oeil painting in a bathroom, made in Florence in 1995

Francesco Farolfi beside his handmade trompe l’oeil wall painting in a bathroom. Acrilics on wall. Florence, 1995

Pictures of a wall before and after the making of a trompe l'oeil mural by Francesco Farolfi — A wall **before** and **after** the creation of a trompe l'oeil mural by Francesco Farolfi, depicting a glimpse of a loggia with arches, which is mainly seen from below. Pisa, 2014

DECEPTIVE WALLS
The video

The evocative power of Trompe l’Oeil

In addition to the ability of amazing and engaging the viewer by way of the optical deception, realistic wall paintings have often an important evocative role, by making recall the presence and the memory of places, people or animals dear to the client, as in the two paintings by Francesco Farolfi below

Painting on wooden panel attatched on a wall, with balustrade trompe l'oeil seen from below and portrait of dog. Acrylic on wood — Painting on a wood panel, attatched on a wall of a stairwell (Florence 1991)

Mural trompe l'oeil on the walls of a kitchen, containing a portrait of the cat of the client — Mural trompe l’oeil on the walls of a kitchen (Florence 2012)

Trompe L’Oeil of decorative architectural elements

The optical illusion (or trompe l'oeil) in the wall decoration is not used only to create imaginary openings to the outside, but also to add decorative elements in a three-dimensional and realistic look, such as fake molding frames, roses, pillars or boiserie, that simulate stucco or stone, marble or wood elements

Detail of trompe l'oeil painting on a ceiling, depicting a stone rose and molded frames, made by Francesco Farolfi

Detail of a trompe l'oeil painting on a ceiling. Francesco and Pierluigi Farolfi. Florence-Basilica of San Lorenzo. 2016

Not only Trompe L’Oeil

Another form of pictorial wall decoration consist of the use of stylized natural elements, geometrically and harmoniously arranged, with repeated and symmetrical motifs, as in the picture below o

Detail of painting on a ceiling, with floral motifs inspired by the Art Nouveau style, made by Francesco Farolfi — Detail of a painting on a ceiling, inspired by the Art Nouveau style, to match the age of building's construction . Francesco Farolfi, Florence 2019

EASEL PAINTINGS, PORTRAITS AND COPIES OF ANCIENT MASTERPIECES

Francesco Farolfi also makes commissioned oil or acrylic paintings on canvas, including portraits of people and animals.
On request he has also made copies of ancient masterpieces

Copy oil on canvas of 'The Lute player' by Caravaggio, made by Francesco Farolfi in 2005

IMAGE GALLERY
of some Farolfi's artworks

Fresco
on a wall that combines elements from Renaissance paintings
in a new original subject depicting the'Good governance'

Fresco on a wall which combines elements from Renaissance paintings in a new original subject depicting the "Good governance" ( USA 2004)

Detail of a trompe l’oeil painting on the wall, which includes the portrait of the client's cat. Florence 2012

Trompe l'oeil
mural on the wall of a stairwell. Before and after made job

Before and after the making of a trompe l’oeil mural on the wall of a stairwell. Pisa 2013

Dog portrait ( Golden Retriever ). Oil on canvas, 90 x95 cm. - 2019

Trompe l’oeil painting on canvas glued to a ceiling, depicting fake lacunars with grotesque decorations and fake golded rose. See the making in the following image. Osaka 2004

The artist in the studio making the painting on canvas to be attatched to the ceiling as you see in the previous slide

Pictorial decoration on an ancient ceiling

Making of a pictorial decoration on a ceiling of the XIX° century, in the same style of adjacent existing paintings. Florence 2015

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