Michigan medical illustrator 'deceived eyes’ in free time

Gerald P. Hodge, a well-known medical and biological illustrator, died in his Ann Arbor home on Thursday at the age of 91. In addition to drawing for medical journals and founding the Master of Fine Arts program in medical and biological illustration at the University of Michigan, Hodge was one of the seven members of the Trompe l'Oeil Society of Artists.

Hodge drew and painted intricate still life images, often depicting nostalgic mementos like ticket stubs and seashells. To see more examples of Hodge's artwork, visit the Trompe l'Oeil Society of Artists website.

The art style trompe l'oeil , French for “deceive the eye,” is known for images and sculptures that appear to exhibit greater dimensions or photo-realism. Hodge taught workshops on mastering this art of optical illusion at the Scottsdale Artists' School in Scottsdale, Ariz.

In an artist’s statement on the society’s website, Gerard wrote that his experience teaching at the University of Michigan prepared him for producing trompe l'oeil artwork.

“My paintings are carefully designed," Hodge wrote, "and I try and go beyond photographic appearances by adding contrast, adding to or eliminating details, making shadows more important, and by slightly changing the shapes and colors of my subject matter in order to enhance the design and quality of my paintings.”

Follow the links for more modern examples of trompe l'oeil artwork and Hodge’s full obituary.

-Elaine Ezekiel, Michigan Radio Newsroom