Get to know Maurits Cornelis Escher. Articles by our curator and other authors which provide deeper insight into his life and work. In Escher Today you can follow the artist even more closely.
In the works of M.C. Escher, movement plays an important role in a number of different ways. For example, the perpetual motion: the infinite cycle of movement. And then, to my amazement, I slowly discovered another type of movement. The figurative movement that goes on inside your head as you try to unravel and make sense of a special work of art. In the case of Other world, you will be amazed at what you can see if you take the time and the effort to look closely at the work. We are looking into space. That much is clear. But how exactly are we looking at this space?
"During my wanderings, everything around me seems real. But later, when I reconstruct the images in my mind's eye, I realise that it was like a dream; when I think back now to what I encountered in Corsica that spring, I recall a vivid sound, a smell, a mood and I am overwhelmed by emotion." These words were penned by Escher in 1928 to his lifelong friend Bas Kist, whom he met at school and who subsequently became a lawyer in Amsterdam. In June 1928, Escher travelled to the French island with his father-in-law Arturo Umiker.
I am writing this story in late November. Autumn was slow to arrive this year. The leaves were late changing colour and it took longer to turn cold. Now that the rain and storms have arrived, temperatures have dropped. Escher's print Puddle captures this time of year perfectly. The beautiful colours and the bare branches demonstrate just how good an observer Escher is.
M.C. Escher did not have happy memories of his high school days in Arnhem. With the exception of a few teachers, such as his arts teacher, he disliked school intensely. Escher did however have a group of friends at school, who helped him through this difficult time. They were Jan van der Does de Willebois and older sister Fiet, Bas Kist, Roosje Ingen Housz and Conny Umbgrove.
If you perceive the world as a never-ending story with a rich variety of repetitive patterns, then tessellation is the ideal pictorial device to apply. Tessellations are patterns of identical shapes that seamlessly interlock and can be repeated endlessly.
Dutchman Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972) is one of the most famous graphic artists in the world. The way he plays with perspective, space and reality means he remains fascinating even today. The highlights of his collection can be seen in Escher in The Palace.
The life of Escher, year by year. In over 70 informative chapters you learn about his life and work, ending with the opening of Escher in The Palace.
Throughout the years several interesting documentaries and short films have been made about printmaker M.C. Escher. On this page we show a selection of them, along with a brief description.