Notable napkins

Escher in The Palace received a special gift: three napkins from the hand of artist and designer Chris Lebeau (1878-1945). These napkins, Refraction, Shoal of Fish and Apple once belonged to M.C. Escher, and are on display until June 2025.

These napkins from Lebeau’s hand were recently donated from the estate of Mrs. M.D.K.I. van Asch van Wijck-Huneus. She lived at 43 Van Heemstralaan in Baarn, just a few doors away from Escher’s house at number 28. A friend of hers, J.L. Taets van Amerongen, supported Escher in the final stages of his life, helping him with the housework and attending concerts with him in Amsterdam. After Escher’s death in 1972 Van Asch van Wijck-Huneus helped her friend to empty his house. By way of thanks, she was given these three napkins, which were recently added to the museum’s collection.

Chris Lebeau was a teacher at the School of Architecture and Decorative Arts in Haarlem, where Escher was a student from 1919 to 1922. Lebeau was a versatile artist with designs for stained-glass windows, book covers and damask table linens. He was commissioned to make the napkins by linen factory E.J.F. van Dissel & Sons in Eindhoven, which was established by pastor E.J.F. van Dissel of Bladel in the 19th century. It worked with renowned designers like Escher, who took on a commission around 1953. It is likely that the napkins by Lebeau came into Escher’s possession in connection with his own work for the factory.

After many preliminary studies for his own design, Escher settled on a pattern featuring fish and seahorses, which the linen factory used on napkins and tablecloths in several colours. They were made in white, blue and even pink. Damask was an ideal choice of fabric for Escher’s art, as the pattern can be seen only from a certain angle. The fish and seahorses are therefore not always visible on the table linen, and the secret of the design is not revealed immediately. Just the kind of visual game that Escher loved.