MC Escher

by Sandra Forty

Maurits Cornelis Escher (Leeuwarden, June 17, 1898--March 27, 1972 in Laren) was a Dutch mathematical artist known for his woodcuts, lithographs and mezzotints which feature impossible constructions, explorations of infinity, and tessellations. This book has numerous examples of how his extraordinary pictures of logic fool the brain into believing the impossible--water can run uphill and steps that go upwards.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Reference, Design, Mathematics

96 pages, Hardcover

First published October 30, 2003

About the author

Sandra Forty is a graduate of London University where she studied medieval and early modern history, including a spell at the Courtald Institute learning about Renaissance art from Professor Gombrich.

Since then she has worked as a journalist in London, then as a book editor and writer.

She is the author of a number of books, most on art and architecture.

Reviews

[ashley :] · Rating 5 out of 5]

his designs require quiet observation. his brilliance speaks for itself. good format

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know how they (they?) say, “a picture is worth a thousand words”? That doesn’t necessarily mean that a picture is a substitute for a thousand words. Any good art critic can produce a couple of single-spaced pages of commentary on a picture, and the number of pages that have been written discussing a single work like the Mona Lisa does suggest that while a picture may be “worth” a thousand words, that does not mean that it takes the place of words. Frequently, a picture is merely a locus out of which a thousand words (or an entire discourse) can emerge.
Which brings me to this book of reproductions of work by the artist M.C. Escher. I have only the one, so I don’t know if this is true of other books of his work, but this book is mostly reproductions of the work and only a few pages of bibliography and comment. Certainly the ratio of text to picture in this book is a lot lower than that in books of Dali’s, Bosch’s or Magritte’s work (in which commentators produce pages of text discussing what these artists are doing, and the meaning of their work). Is it the case that unlike many other artists, Escher’s work necessitates little commentary? That it is evident what he is doing? That his work “speaks for itself”?
Just about all pictures. Hardly any text. Just good reproductions of Escher’s work—images of stairways, birds, frogs, swans, cities on chessboards. And because the book is coffee-table book size, the reproductions are a good size. In many of Escher’s paintings, the space between objects is not just space, but the beginning or ending of another object.

Acquired Dec 25, 2003
Gift from Chris

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mauritz Cornelis Escher was an amazing artist. He is quoted as saying, "I often seem to have more in common with mathematicians than with my fellow-artists." He recognized the 17 plane symmetry groups and then taught himself the principles by which each of these groups operated and used them in his work. His approach was very mathematical and systematic and perhaps this is why so many are drawn to his work.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is not much text in this book. This would be just one more Escher book, with the pictures that most of them have, except for the size of it. Due to the oversize format, it is an excellent addtion to you Escher Book collection.

[Vlada · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent selection of works of Escher preceded by a short (a little bit too short to my taste) introduction which gives an overall information about his life and some facts about his artwork. The illustrations are dated and provided with the information about artist's technique and materials.

[James F · Rating 3 out of 5]

This oversized (36 cm.) book begins with a few pages of biography of Escher, and ends with a few pages of his "symmetry" drawings, but the main focus is 73 plates of his prints. The selection contains many of his earlier, more conventional prints which I have not seen elsewhere.

[L Jung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exxxxxcellent.

[Alexia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing.

[CR Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gawd, I love this guy.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning illustrations and really enjoyed the experience I think this will remain in my library

[John Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cut out the pictures and turned them into a poster.