P Maurits Cornelis Escher, better known as M.C.
Escher was born June
17, 1898, in the
Netherlands. He was the youngest child in his family. His father was a civil engineer.

M.C. Escher

He is best know known for being a graphic artist.
What it a graphic artist???
P an artist who designs and makes prints
P printmaker
P artist, creative person - a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination
P engraver - a printmaker who prints from an engraved printing plate
P lithographer - a printmaker who uses lithography

Escher’s art mainly consisted of woodcuts, and lithographs.

M.C. Escher was left-handed.

His art was mathematically inspired which was interesting because this was not an area of study that he had excelled or enjoyed.

Escher was a poor student and struggled through many of his classes. He even failed second grade.

He attended the Haarlem School of Architecture and Decorative
Arts in the Netherlands.

He started out studying architecture, but after only one week he informed his father that he would rather study graphic art. His father was concerned with this decision, but agreed that he could make the switch.

After finishing school, he traveled all through Italy, where he met his wife
Jetta Umiker. They married in 1924 and had three sons.

They settled in Rome, where they stayed until
1935. During these years, Escher would travel each year throughout Italy, drawing and sketching for the various prints he would make.

While traveling he would make sketches for later use. For example, the background in the lithograph Waterfall stems from his Italian period, or the trees reflecting in the woodcut
Puddle, which are the same trees Escher used in his woodcut
"Pineta of Calvi", which he made in 1932.

In 1935 the politics in Italy became too much to bear for Escher and his wife. They moved to
Switzerland. They then moved to Belgium until
WWII forced them to relocate again. the couple moved to Baarn, Netherlands and that is where
Escher lived until he died in 1972.

Escher created many interesting works of art. He used black and white to create dimension. He also used cubes, cones, spheres and spirals.

In addition to being a graphic artist, M.C. Escher illustrated books, designed tapestries, postage stamps and murals.

In 1941, Escher wrote a paper about his approach to using math in his art work. After he wrote this paper he was considered a research mathematician. He created a system of categorizing shape, color, and symmetrical properties using math for his art. Escher’s work in mathematics awarded him with Knighthood of the Orange
Nassau in 1955.

In 1958 he published another paper. In this paper he worked on a series of pictures that he is most famous for, called Metamorphosis . In these pictures he would draw something that morphed into something else.

P
P
M.C. Escher, during his lifetime, made
448 lithographs, woodcuts and wood engravings and over 2000 drawings and sketches.

Many well-known museums feature
Escher’s art work. Two of these museums include the National Gallery of Art in
Washington D.C., and The Fine Arts
Museum in San Francisco. Private collectors also own a great deal of his work.

M.C. Escher’s work is important for many reasons, but his contribution to the world of mathematical art stands out. All of his artwork was original and very imaginative. What can you do with your imagination????