Lyon street art,
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On my first visit to Lyon, I was especially interested in seeing the old city, in tasting the atmosphere of the city, in walking the narrow alleys and discovering the traboules or secret walkways between streets. I came unprepared, however, for another attraction of this remarkable city: the street art. It is often realistic art, in the tradition of the trompe l'oeil, which makes the city so much more colourful and a delight to walk in. From small graffiti-type works of art on doors to trompe l'oeils painted on tall buildings, Lyon is full of examples.
When I wanted to cross a street, I had to look twice to see that the painter I thought was busy at the other side of the street, was actually a painter painted on the wall. I decided to cross and have a closer look, and quite soon, I discovered that the entire 7-storey building was painted all around and was, in fact, one large trompe l'oeil. Not only were the persons leaning out of the window well painted and did they give a great impression of reality, I realized that these were all famous historical inhabitants of Lyon. I recognized Saint Exupéry and his little Prince on a balcony, among the many persons painted on the walls.
I was thrilled by this discovery, and walked around the building. Unfortunately, I did not know most of the people portrayed here, but still, the work of art was a remarkable example of the imaginary world of trompe l'oeil. From then on, I was on the alert for other examples, and actually found plenty. I found many more colourful examples of paintings or graffiti, giving the city another special touch. It seems there are still more paintings adorning the Lyonnais streets, and I will certainly be on the lookout for them on my next visit.
