Trompe l'oeil literally means to trick or deceive the eye in French. In art, it refers to the technique of depicting an object so realistically that it makes it look as if it were real. This is often achieved using anamorphosis, a type of optical illusion that involves a distorted projection that requires the viewer to be at a specific location to view it. Such illusions are used in painting, photography, sculpture and in film special effects.