M.C. Escher’s drawings are equal parts mesmerizing and confounding. The Dutch artist is maybe best known for his optical illusions and “impossible” artwork. An idol to mathematicians and hippies alike, Escher was both a mastermind and pioneer of psychedelic art. His early works focused on nature and landscapes, which earned him accolades among the European arts establishment.
In the 1920s, Escher was profoundly inspired by the Moorish architecture he encountered on a trip to the Alhambra Palace in Spain. From that point onward, the artist became obsessed with the codependency of forms within and next to each other, working mostly with lithographs and woodcuts. This fascination with optical illusions, interrelating shapes, and the impossible is presented in M.C. Escher: The Graphic Work. A preview of this book is available below. To purchase it, click here.
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