M. C. Escher

Maurits Cornelis Escher, widely known as M.C. Escher, was one of the world’s leading graphic artists known for his mesmerizing optical illusions and intricate tessellations. Escher’s artwork explores the boundaries of perception and geometry, making him a significant figure in both art and mathematical circles.

Born in 1898 in Leeuwarden, Netherlands, Escher initially studied architecture before shifting his focus to graphic art. His early works drew inspiration from the nature, making studies of insects, landscapes and plats in great detail. However, it was his later experiments with perspective and geometric patterns that brought him international acclaim. Through his art Escher explored the complexities of visual paradoxes, resulting in captivating images such as his famous Metamorphosis series.

In 1922 Escher travelled through Italy and Spain. The trip proved to be highly formative and inspiration. There, he as inspired by the nature of the Italian countryside and the Moorish architecture of the 14-century Alhambra. The geometrical symmetries of decorative designs of the Alhambra, along with the mathematical principles of Old Masters like Leonardo da Vinci and Albrecht Dürer, captured his imagination, sparking his interest in the mathematics of tessellation that would become the driving influence on his body of work.

Escher lived in Rome between 1923 and 1935, and moved across Switzerland and Belgium during World War II until settling in Baarn, Netherlands, in 1941. By 1953, Escher lectured widely. In 1955 he was award the Knighthood of the Order of Orange-Nassau and was made an Officer in 1967.

In 1969 Escher complete his last work, Snakes, a large woodcut with threefold rotational symmetry of snakes winding through a pattern of linked rinks. In 1970 Escher moved to an artists’ retirement home in Laren, Netherlands, and held his own studio. M.C. Escher died in 1972, aged 73.

Escher’s legacy endures through his unique ability to challenge our perception of reality and space. His work remains a source of inspiration for artists, mathematicians, and enthusiasts alike, solidifying his place as a pioneering figure in the intersection of art and mathematics. Today, his works belong in the collections of the Escher Museum in The Hague, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa and more.