Escher, M.C. (Maurits Cornelis Escher) [Dutch, 1898-1972]

M.C.Escher: # Thumbnails of 20 pictures - _escher.jpg
M.C.Escher: Air and Water I, Woodcut, 1938 - airwater.gif
M.C.Escher: An other World II, Wood engraving, 1947 - aoworld.jpg
M.C.Escher: Balcony, Lithograph, 1945 - balcony.jpg
M.C.Escher: Belvedere, Lithograph, 1958 - belveder.jpg
M.C.Escher: Bond of Union, Lithograph, 1956 - bond_of_.jpg
M.C.Escher: Circle Limit 4, or: Heaven and Hell, Woodcut, 1960 - circlim4.jpg
M.C.Escher: Convex and Concave, Lithograph, 1955 - convex_a.jpg
M.C.Escher: Cycle, Lithograph, 1938 - cycle.jpg
M.C.Escher: Day and Night, Woodcut, 1938 - day_and_.jpg
M.C.Escher: Division of the Plane I, Mezzotinto 146 x 192, 1951 - sketch.jpg
M.C.Escher: Double Planetoid, what?, when? [knows anybody more?] - doubplan.gif
M.C.Escher: Dragon, Wood engraving, 1952 [GIF version] - dragon.gif
M.C.Escher: Drawing, Lithograph, 1948 [JPG version] - drawing.jpg
M.C.Escher: Dream, Wood engraving, 1935 - dream.jpg
M.C.Escher: Fifth Day of the Creation, 1925 - animals.jpg
M.C.Escher: Scarabs, 1935 - skarabes.jpg
M.C.Escher: Self portrait in spherical mirror, Woodcut, 1950 - selfsphe.jpg
M.C.Escher: Self portrait, Lithographical chalk (scraped), 1943 - selfport.jpg
M.C.Escher: Self portrait, Woodcut, 1923 - self_por.gif
M.C.Escher: Skull, 1919 - skull.jpg
M.C.Escher: Snakes, Woodcut, 1969 - snakes.jpg
M.C.Escher: Spirals, Wood engraving, 1953 - spirals.jpg
M.C.Escher: Square Limit, Woodcut, 1964 - square_l.gif
M.C.Escher: St. Peter in Rome [Detail], Wood engraving, 1935 - st_peter.gif
M.C.Escher: Stars, Wood engraving, 1948 - stars.jpg
M.C.Escher: Sun and Moon, Woodcut, 1948 - sunamoon.jpg
M.C.Escher: Three Spheres I, Woodcut, 1945 - 3balls.jpg
M.C.Escher: Three Worlds, Woodcut, 1955 - 3worlds.jpg
M.C.Escher: Verbum or: Earth, Sky and Water, Lithograph, 194 - verbum.jpg
M.C.Escher: Waterfall, Lithograph, 1961 - waterfal.jpg
M.C.Escher: Whirlpools, Wood engraving and Woodcut, 1957 - whirlpoo.gif
M.C. Escher: From his book "Regelmatige vlakverdeling" **with long comment** - graficus.jpg
M.C. Escher: From the Tower of the Oude Kerk, Woodcut, 1939 - from_the.jpg
M.C. Escher: Gravity, Lithograph and Watercolor, 1952 - gravity.gif
M.C. Escher: Grote Markt, Woodcut, 1939 - grote_ma.jpg
M.C. Escher: Hand with reflecting sphere, Lithograph, 1935 - hand_wit.jpg
M.C. Escher: Horses to Birds, Wood engraving, 1949 - horses_t.jpg
M.C. Escher: House of Stairs, Lithograph, 1951 - house_of.gif
M.C. Escher: Knots, Woodcut, 1965 - knots.jpg
M.C. Escher: Moebius Tape II, Wood engraving, 1963 - moebius.jpg
M.C. Escher: Regular Division of the Plane III, Woodcut, 1957 - horsmen2.jpg
M.C. Escher: Swans, Wood engraving, 1956 - moebirds.gif

M.C. Escher.
Regelmatige vlakverdeling.
Utrecht, Stichting De Roos, 1958.
45, [4] pp., 34.5 x 26 cm.
Printed by Boosten & Stols (Maastricht).
Typographical design by Aldert Witte.
Edition of 175 copies, intended for the members of the Stichting De Roos,
Utrecht.
44 F 16, p. [9]

The sentence reproduced on the opposite page, meaning There is an element of
the minstrel in every graphic artist, continues on the next page of the book:
in each print he makes from one particular woodblock, copperplate or
lithographic stone, he always sings and repeats the same song. This second
part of the sentence touches on a very striking aspect in Escher's work:
repetition. The woodcuts in which he gradually transforms one figure into
another, by constantly repeating the same figure with infinitesimally small
changes, are universally known. Geometric figures become birds, birds become
fish, bees become honeycombs and a black figure on white becomes white on
black by this same principle. It is not surprising that he chose this
sentence for the opening of his book: it is a reflection of this technique.

As he wanted to be an architect, M.C. Escher (1898-1972) started his training
at the School for Architecture and Decorative Arts in Haarlem. However, one
of his teachers, the graphic artist Jessurun de Mesquita, discovered his
talent for drawing and encouraged him to change to the department of graphic
art. One can still see his interest in architecture in his oeuvre, not only
when he is working with planes, but also in his experiments with mathematical
figures and perspective. It enables him to combine different styles in one
work, styles that would seem incompatible, but that are made into a logical
whole by his expert and imaginative constructions.

The book was published by the Stichting De Roos, a foundation established in
June 1945 by Christiaan Leeflang, Charles Nypels, and G.M. van Wees. Its aim
was to make books and printed matter solely for the pure and therefore
altruistic love of typography and art, in all conceivable forms in which they
may be combined. It has a maximum of 175 members, and for many years has had
a waiting list for prospective members. Every year three or four works are
published, for members only. The foundation aims at involving as many
different people and companies as possible in design, illustrations, printing
and binding; as a result the collective publications reflect contemporary
achievements in these fields in the Netherlands. Of all the publications by
the Stichting De Roos this is the most sought-after.

J.L. Locher e.a. De werelden van M.C. Escher. Amsterdam 1971; Stichting "De
Roos" 40 jaar, 1946-1986. Utrecht [1986].