[There's a Cincinnati connection here; just bear with me.] This trompe l’oeil mural was painted by Richard Haas in 1975 on the side of 112 Prince St. in Soho, a building designed by Richard Berger in 1889. At the time, this building housed artists, including Maya Lin. Two years ago, the mural got a graffiti addition which has not yet been removed.
See how perfectly the mural emulates the architectural detail of the front facade of the building?
This was Haas’ first mural project; the Spring Green, WI-born artist has since completed many more, including the one at Vine St. and Central Parkway in Cincinnati:
Another Cincinnati connection is this 1985 lithograph of Union Terminal:
The Soho mural may be covered up if a developer replaces the single-story building next door with a taller one; more details on that here.
Wow, this seems like it must have been quite an amazing mural before the paint started to peel. Thanks for sharing!
You’re right that it’s not in great shape, but it is a 35-year old mural. I don’t know how long painted murals are generally expected to last, or what kinds of measures can be taken to ensure their longevity, but this one has had a long life already. There are a few murals from the 70s in downtown Cincinnati, and they look no better, and probably a bit worse, than this one.