Trompe l'Oeil. An Open Cabinet of Curiosities with a Hercules Group 1670

Cornelius Norbertus Gijsbrechts' "Trompe l'Oeil. An Open Cabinet of Curiosities with a Hercules Group" (1670) is a masterful example of trompe l'oeil painting, a genre that aims to deceive the viewer into believing the depicted objects are real. The painting showcases an open cabinet door revealing a collection of objects, including a sculpture of Hercules, a coral branch, and a string of beads, all rendered with astonishing realism. The careful attention to detail, from the wood grain of the cabinet to the intricate shadows cast by the objects, creates a sense of depth and illusion. The work is housed at the SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst and continues to captivate audiences with its remarkable lifelikeness.