Bibliography
Page 1 - Escher, M.C., Vogels, woodcut, image from writedesignonline.com
Page 2 - Escher, M.C., Development 1, 1937, woodcut, image from mcescher.com
Page 3 - Escher, M.C., Regular Division of the Plane (Tilings), drawing, image from artnet.com
Page 4 - Nasrid Palaces at the Alhambra (Tilings), Grenada, Spain, image from trazzler.com
Page 5 - Escher, M.C., Reptiles, March 1943, lithograph, image from trailsrule.blogspot.com
Page 6 - Escher, M.C., Escher Ascending (Cropped), image from headwaysoftware.com and
Escher, M.C., M.C. Escher Original Waterfall, image from visualfunhouse.com
Where noted, comments were paraphrased from:
Schattschnider, D., M.C. Escher: Visions of Symmetry, 2004, published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Art of M.C. Esher, Page 6
In his later works, Escher experimented with perspective in his artworks and added "impossible" waterfalls and staircases that seem to connect and loop ever downward or upward. It is fascinating to look at the details and see how the illusion of three dimensions is accomplished and fools our eyes.
Art of M.C. Escher, Page 5.
Once Escher developed his "layman's theory" for filling the plane with designs, he filled sketchbooks with drawings that combined his "tile" art with familiar scenes. Often these scenes wer taken at interesting angles of perspective and the objects took on a three dimensional look through careful shading and positioning (Schattschneider, D., 2004, pp. 112-113).
Art of M.C. Escher, Page 4
Escher's art was inspired by tile work in the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain. He first visited there in 1922. In the summer of 1936, he returned with his wife, Jetta, and the two of them made sketches of the designs. When he returned home, he fashioned woodcuts of the designs to make prints to be used as wrapping paper or used for advertising for the Italian shipping company that he used to get to Spain.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Art of M.C. Escher, Page 1
Mauritis Cornelis Escher
Born: June 17,1898 in Leeuwarden, Holland
Parents: George and Sara Escher
Personal: Grew up in Arnhem. Called "Mauk" by his friends and family. Youngest of five sons. Attended public school from 1912 to 1918 and was an average student. Played the cello and loved music. September of 1918, moved to Haarlem to attend School for Architecture and Decorative Arts, intending to become an architect. Met a teacher who became his mentor, Samuel Jessurum de Mequita, who advised him to study graphic arts. In April 1922, he set out for Florence, Italy and traveled and sketched. Met Jetta Umiker in Ravello in 1923, they married in 1924 and settled in Rome. They lived there 11 years and had two sons: George in 1926 and Arthur in 1928. July 1935, left for Chateau d'Oex, Switzerland. August of 1937, moved to Ukkel, a suburb of Brussels. In May 1940, the Germans invaded Brussels, so Escher moved his family to Baarn, Holland in February 1941. He lived there 30 years. His last 2 years were spent in Laren and he died there March 27, 1972 (Schattschneider, D., 2004, M.C. Esher: Visions of Symmetry, pp. 2-15).
Early Art: Escher was taught woodcut techniques by de Mequita. Escher seemed obsessed with repeating figures that would fill the plane of the blank page. He made rules for himself about his designs: the shapes had to be "concrete, recognizable figures and adjacent shapes must have contrasting colors" (Schattschneider, D., 2004, p.7).
Born: June 17,1898 in Leeuwarden, Holland
Parents: George and Sara Escher
Personal: Grew up in Arnhem. Called "Mauk" by his friends and family. Youngest of five sons. Attended public school from 1912 to 1918 and was an average student. Played the cello and loved music. September of 1918, moved to Haarlem to attend School for Architecture and Decorative Arts, intending to become an architect. Met a teacher who became his mentor, Samuel Jessurum de Mequita, who advised him to study graphic arts. In April 1922, he set out for Florence, Italy and traveled and sketched. Met Jetta Umiker in Ravello in 1923, they married in 1924 and settled in Rome. They lived there 11 years and had two sons: George in 1926 and Arthur in 1928. July 1935, left for Chateau d'Oex, Switzerland. August of 1937, moved to Ukkel, a suburb of Brussels. In May 1940, the Germans invaded Brussels, so Escher moved his family to Baarn, Holland in February 1941. He lived there 30 years. His last 2 years were spent in Laren and he died there March 27, 1972 (Schattschneider, D., 2004, M.C. Esher: Visions of Symmetry, pp. 2-15).
Art of M.C. Escher, Page 3
In the winter of 1937-1938, Escher started to assemble notebooks of his obsession with repeating geometric patterns. He sought to develop a "layman's theory" that would describe the rules of filling the plane with repeating patterns. He developed his theory and, in 1941 to 1942, assembled two notebooks: one containing descriptions, diagrams, and terms; the other a collection of finished drawings. These drawings would influence all of Escher's work from then on (Schattschneider, D., 2004, pp.36 & 56).
Art of M.C. Esher, Page 2
Through studying tile patterns of the Alhambra, a 14th century palace in Granada, Spain, Escher became fascinated with repeating patterns. Escher's brother, Beer, suggested that he look up articles by Hungarian mathematician George Polya. Polya had studied 17 kinds of symmetry related to crystals and drew representations of them in the article. Escher copied the patterns and his artist's eye saw how the patterns could be transformed into shapes of animals and figures (Schattschneider, D., 2004, pp.22-23).
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