Le L - trompe l'œil

The mural on the blank gable wall of the building at Plaine des Sablons mimics the surrounding architecture with perfect precision. Painted by Charles Matton in nineteen eighty-five, this trompe l'oeil work creates the illusion of an extension of the street, complete with false balconies and windows that mirror the real ones nearby. Matton spent months detailing the shadows to ensure the facade appeared to dissolve into the cityscape. The painted shutters remain open, revealing shelves of books and objects that never change.