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Poetry Day 2018
25 January 2018

Poetry Day 2018

Today is Poetry Day, the start of Poetry Week in the Netherlands. Escher was not a poet, but he had a poetic spirit. He must have, to create his mind-boggling oeuvre. Moreover, his works lend themselves very well to being used as subject matter for poetry. To mark the occasion of Poetry Day, we are drawing attention to a special publication on Escher, the title page of which comes close to a poem. And if he was not a poet, then he was a troubadour.

M.C. Escher, Regelmatige vlakverdeling, binnenblad

M.C. Escher, Regelmatige vlakverdeling, binnenblad

In 1958 bibliophilic 'Stichting De Roos' (De Roos Foundation) published his book Regelmatige vlakverdeling (Regular Division of the Plane). This beautiful book is the best known and most valuable publication issued by this foundation. The title page says:

'The printmaker has something of the minstrel spirit;'

It continues on the next page of the book:

'he sings, and in every print that is made from a single block of wood, copper plate or lithographic stone he repeats his song, over and over again. It does not really matter if the occasional sheet gets lost or stained or torn; there copies enough to convey his thoughts, and if there are not sufficient available he can print a new series, in which each individual work is equally perfect, original and complete, as long as the plate from which it is printed is not worn.'

Escher realised that a book about his fascination with the regular division of the plane accompanied by six exclusive prints of his work might prove to be something special. In 1956 he wrote to Karel Asselbergs, a member of the De Roos Foundation’s board:

'It might become a most curious publication; or something, at any rate (and said in all modesty), that no other graphic artist on the entire planet would be able to furnish you with. It does not sound very modest, but what can I do about it? That is just the way it is.'

'Regelmatige vlakverdeling' [Regular Division of the Plane], cover

'Regelmatige vlakverdeling' [Regular Division of the Plane], cover

'Regelmatige vlakverdeling' [Regular Division of the Plane], inside

'Regelmatige vlakverdeling' [Regular Division of the Plane], inside

'Regelmatige vlakverdeling' [Regular Division of the Plane], inside

'Regelmatige vlakverdeling' [Regular Division of the Plane], inside

'Regelmatige vlakverdeling' [Regular Division of the Plane], original woodblock and print (Museum Meermanno)

'Regelmatige vlakverdeling' [Regular Division of the Plane], original woodblock and print (Museum Meermanno)

Erik Kersten

Erik Kersten

Editor

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More Escher today

Two Intersecting Planes

Two Intersecting Planes

Fishes and birds are Escher’s favorite animals. Or, at least, that is what his work seems to suggest. When he was experimenting with tessellations in the late 1930s, he arrived at these shapes quite soon. They lend themselves very well to the juggling act that is needed for this technique. Which is why they keep popping up in his work. Individually, like in Day and Night, Sun and Moon, Liberation, Fishes, Swans, Depth, Three Worlds and Whirlpools. In combination with other animals, but often also together. Consider in this regard Sky and Water I and II, Metamorphosis II, Predestination and Two Intersecting Planes.
Leaning Tower of Pisa

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Between 26 April and 28 June 1936 Escher takes a round trip by freighter along the shores of Italy and Spain. He also travels inland by train. His wife Jetta accompanies him on a section of this trip. The couple enjoyed themselves immensely. They had moved to Switzerland the year before and were missing Italy terribly. On 13 June Escher arrived in Livorno by freighter. Jetta had travelled back the day before. From his travel journal:
'At 10.10 I journeyed to Pisa by train. From the Piazza Vittorio I took the trolleybus-cum-tram to the station, the same model as I saw running back and forth between Venice Mestre—a very pleasant and fast connection. In Pisa by 10.30 and then on to the Duomo by tram. From the first gallery of the Leaning Tower I did a drawing of the cathedral, on which I worked constantly until 3.30. At the station I ate something hurriedly and took the train back to Livorno at 4.18’
Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll

On 14 January 1898 Lewis Carroll, the British author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, died. Carroll passed away five months before Escher was born. Although their paths never crossed, the author and the artist have a lot in common. Both were frighteningly thin, both were addicted to long walks, both were obsessed by documenting the minutiae of their daily life, both were mad about chess and intrigued by game elements and by using these in their work.