错视画--眼见不一定为实

On the Italian coast, colored houses build down the hillside, soaking up the sun as they face the sea. But look closely, and you'll notice something's a little strange. In Camogli, the art of illusion is everywhere. This fishing village near Genoa is a living museum of trompe l'oeil, literally, to trick the eye. And it does get tricky. Windows open in solid walls. Elaborate stonework? That isn't. And while some flowers fade, others stay fresh for years. Camogli's fishermen originally painted their houses in bright colors and unusual designs so that they could recognize them from the water. In the 18th Century, however, it became a way to make small, simple buildings seem luxuries and grand. There are thousands of trompe l'oeil houses in this region, but only a handful of artists still painting them.

Raffaella Stacca learned painting from her grandmother. Using classical methods on her modern designs, she gives house painting a whole new meaning. These painted façades are typical of Liguria, really typical. But for a while, it seemed like no one was doing them any more. It's taken 20 years to perfect her technique of recreating stone, so that it looks real even from close-up. Like most painters, she learned trompe l'oeil from artists, not in school. But with fewer artists, there are fewer teachers and fewer places to learn. Carlo Pere has made a business out of making the surreal real. Buyers for his imaginary terraces and bogus balconies often live in small houses or city apartments. Pere's job is to improve the view. Trompe l'oeil means bringing along to the sea or the sea to the mountains, or vice versa. Pere's technique comes out an art handbook from the 14th Century. Even his paints have the stamp of history; he uses only pure pigments mixed by hand. It keeps tradition alive. In Camogli, the local culture is still in plain view from the bay to the bar. You just might not believe your eyes.