M.C. Escher
Jamie Gilbertson
Math 471
Fall 2005
Background
Full name: Maurits Cornelis Escher
Born in Leeuwarden, Holland on
June 17,1898
Entered secondary school in 1912 where
he did not enjoy mathematics, but he liked
art class.
“I was extremely poor at arithmetic
and algebra because I had, and still
have, great difficulty with the
abstractions of numbers and letters.
When, later, in stereometry [solid
geometry], an appeal was made to
my imagination . . . but in school I
never excelled in that subject”
-M.C. Escher
His Start in Art
Traveled to Italy and began
drawing sketches of the trees and
vistas.
Fascinated with structure and
light
Paid careful attention to details of
the roof shingles and the
cobblestone path ways
Geometry and Tessellations
His attraction to plane geometry began to
grow.
Visited the Alhambra and became very
influenced by the Moor Civilization
Constructed tessellations using
interlocking polygons.
Though the Moor Civilization was
forbidden from using living
creatures in their art, Escher took a
great interest in using these figures
Used mainly birds, lions, and fish
Uses of Symmetry
Translation
Rotation
Reflection
Glide-Reflection
Translation & Rotation
Translation
Rotation
Reflection & Glide-Reflection
Reflection
Glide-Reflection
Putting it all Together
Used a fading technique to blend objects
together.
Constructed the famous Metamorphose
series.
Metamorphose I
Infinity
Became
fascinated with
the concept of
infinity and began
reflecting this into
his art.
The Possible Impossibilities
Began constructing art that defied that
natural laws of human nature
3
The Waterfall
Belvedere
Relativity
“What pathetic slaves we turn out to
be of gravity’s dominant power over
everything on earth. And then the
right angle between the horizontal
and the vertical! Almost everything
we construct … are all right-angled
boxes. They really are dreadfully
boring and annoying.”
-M.C. Escher
The Possible Impossibilities
With his fascination of infinity, he
created two never ending
illustrations:
– Drawing Hands
– Möbius Strip
Drawing Hands
Möbius Strip II
"An endless ring-shaped band usually
has two distinct surfaces, one inside
and one outside. Yet on this strip nine
red ants crawl after each other and
travel the front side as well as the
reverse side. Therefore the strip has
only one surface."
-M.C. Escher
In the End
In the late 1960s, his health became very
poor.
Continued to complete his mathematical
creations into his later days.
Died in March of 1972
Works Cited
Visions of Symmetry by Doris
Schattschneider © 1990
The Official M.C. Escher Website
www.mcescher.com
The Geometry Center