Street Artist JR Reveals the Terrain Hidden Beneath the Eiffel Tower With a Massive Anamorphic Optical Illusion

The remarkable Ted Prize-winning French street artist and photographer JR employed his talent for socially relevant large scale installations to create a massive trompe-l’Å“il piece underneath the Eiffel Tower in Paris. This incredible anamorphic optical illusion appears to reveal the terrain hidden underneath the iconic sculpture when view from a specific angle.

With his new installation located on the Parvis des Droits de l’Homme in Paris, JR continues his reflection on architecture and excavation of iconic monuments, imagining a trompe l’oeil revealing a street below a large precipice topped by the Eiffel Tower.

JR had previously used this same technique at the Louvre in Paris and at Palazzo Strozzi in Florence.

As was the case for his projects at the Louvre and at the Palazzo Strozzi, JR used the anamorphosis technique, which allows an image to be fully revealed from a specific point of view. JR once again leaves it up to the viewers to make their own interpretation of the project.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.