M. C. Escher was born in Leeuwarden, Netherlands on June 17, 1898, and died in 1972 in Hilversum. He trained as a graphic artist in Haarlem, Netherlands. In 1954, his works were exhibited at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam in conjunction with the International Conference of Mathematics. His unique woodcuts and lithographs illustrate his absorption in recurrence, showing the regular division of planes in his symmetrical drawings. He both observed the world around him and expressed his own fantasies in his art.
Some of my favorite pieces were "Eye", from 1946, in mezzotint, which is a detailed rendering of the human eye with a skull in the pupil: a very powerful piece. "Roofs of Sienna", which is a 1920 woodcut was also a favorite of mine and much less dark and dramatic. I also liked "Palm Tree", another woodcut, this one from 1923.
A virtual reality tour of Escher’s work, offered in both Dutch and English, allows the viewer to step into Escher’s world. Visitors can also step into "Escher’s Room", where two people standing in different corners will appear of disparate size. The person on the left will appear gigantic, whereas the person on the right looks quite small. A souvenir photograph showing the illusion can be had for 5€.
Once the summer palace of the present Dutch queen’s grandmother, the Het palace stands on Lange Voorhout, an elegant tree-lined avenue. Open just since November 16, 2002, the museum has four floors of Escher’s work, as well a cafe, gift shop, and coatroom. Journey time to The Hague from Amsterdam is about 45 minutes; there are at least four trains per hour. Cost is about 15€ roundtrip.
Hours: 11am-5pm daily. For more information, call the museum at +31 (0)70 362 4061, visit their website at www.escherinhetpaleis.nl, or send email to info@escherinhetpaleis.nl.