Nothing is quite what it seems in the universe of Maurits Cornelis Escher (widely known as M.C. Escher). The Dutch artist, famed for his graphic prints featuring infinite staircases, twisted perspectives and self-replicating animals, was a master of illusion in more ways than one.
Escher's pictures aren’t simply puzzles designed to play tricks on the brain; they were born of a desire to stretch our powers of perception, to encourage us to cultivate a natural curiosity and playfulness about the world around us. According to New York gallerist Skot Foreman, the artist had a rare gift. “He combined the structure and analytics of the left brain with the artistic creativity of the right brain,” Foreman explains. “Somehow, he turned images into mind-bending universes that were able to stretch the boundaries of our imagination, urging us to rethink the realms of possibility within nature’s laws of order.”
But creating illusionistic illustrations was not Escher’s only talent. He was also a passionate diarist, recording his thoughts and frustrations in written form throughout his life. He often lamented that his pictures could never fully convey his cerebral imaginings. At the same time, he expressed impatience with those who couldn’t see beyond the surface appeal of his shape-shifting patterns. Escher was an artist who sought perfection and felt misunderstood by the mainstream art world.
“The most important thing about Escher is that he was always curious, always researching and exploring. Most people lose this quality as they get older, but Escher maintained a childlike enthusiasm for the world,” says Dutch filmmaker Robin Lutz, whose thoughtful feature-length film, M.C. Escher: Journey to Infinity, marries documentary footage with animation and unfolds at an unhurried pace, allowing Escher’s witty and intelligent prose to gently guide us through his creative evolution.
Escher always carried a magnifying glass in his pocket to “enjoy the tiniest details” at his feet, be it a plant climbing a rock, a butterfly or a grasshopper. He had a real passion for travel and spent more than a decade in Rome with his wife, Jetta, and young family. It was there that he first played with multiple perspectives, sketching the city’s architecture at night to avoid the “excessive baroque frills” he deemed too distracting in the daylight. Another big development was sparked by a 1936 visit to the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain. Inspired by the Moorish tiles of the 14th-century landmark, Escher started to experiment with repeating patterns, or tessellations, creating his first woodcuts and lithographs of metamorphosing birds, lizards and fish interlocking and filling the entire surface of the paper in jigsaw fashion.
During and directly after World War II, Escher produced many of his most famous works, emotional reactions to a world plunged into chaos. This period marked the start of his fascination with impossible staircases, never-ending waterfalls and cyclical still lifes featuring figures and creatures seemingly caught in a loop, a paradox of entrapment and renewal.
Indeed, the concept of infinity was a major inspiration for him. It informs his fish-eye studies and curvilinear perspectives, which cram in so much dizzying detail it’s impossible to know where one thing ends and another begins. It’s no wonder, then, that Escher’s probing, mind-expanding prints have such enduring appeal.
Find original M.C. Escher art on 1stDibs.
Between Sky and Water - Signed Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Between Sky and Water, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1938 Signed in the plate Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different...
Color
NATURE - Flight of birds - Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Flight of birds, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1938 Unsigned Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different) On vellum 45 x ...
Color
Metaphysics (Architecture in 4 Dimensions) - Signed Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Metaphysics, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1935 Signed in the plate Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different) On vellu...
Color
NATURE - Flock of Birds - Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Flock of Birds, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1938 Unsigned Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different) On vellum 45 x 3...
Color
Ascendant and Descendant - Signed Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Ascendant and Descendant, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1938 Signed in the plate Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be differ...
Color
Surrealist Lovers - Signed Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Surrealist Lovers, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1935 Signed in the plate Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different) On...
Color
NATURE - Autumn and Carp - Signed Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Birds and Fishes, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1943 Signed in the plate Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different) On ...
Color
STILL LIFE - Reptiles - Signed Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Still life with reptiles, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1943 Signed in the plate Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be differ...
Color
The Medieval Army - Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) The Medieval Army, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1938 Unsigned Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different) On vellum 45 ...
Color
NATURE - Intertwined Lizards - Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Intertwined Lizards, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1938 Unsigned Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different) On vellum 4...
Color
Birds and Fishes - Facsimile Lithograph, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Birds and Fishes, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1943 Unsigned Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different) On vellum 45 x...
Color
The Impossible Staircase - Signed Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) The Impossible Staircase, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1935 Signed in the plate Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be differ...
Color
Reflecting Globe - Signed Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Reflecting globe, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1935 Signed in the plate Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different) On ...
Color
The Waterfall - Signed Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) The Waterfall, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1935 Signed in the plate Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different) On vel...
Color
The Impossible Castle - Signed Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) The Impossible Castle, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1935 Signed in the plate Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different...
Color
$2,430
H 11.875 in W 13.875 in
"Skiing Near Holy Hill, " Original Silkscreen Landscape by Schomer Lichtner
By Schomer Lichtner
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Skiing Near Holy Hill" is an original silkscreen print by Schomer Lichtner. The artist initials are lower right, and the title is along the lower edge. This print depicts people skiing near Holy Hill, Wisconsin. The artist used a muted blue, a deep and dark purple, and accents of red to create this piece. 4 7/8" x 6 7/8" art 11 7/8" x 13 7/8" frame Milwaukee artist, Schomer Lichtner passed away on May 9, 2006 at the age of 101. He continued to amaze and create with his whimsical paintings of ballerinas and cows. He and his late wife Ruth Grotenrath, both well-known Wisconsin artists, began their prolific careers as muralists for WPA projects, primarily post offices. Schomer Lichtner was well known for his whimsical cows and ballerinas, such as his "Ballerina Dancing on Cow" sculpture below. The late James Auer, art critic for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel referred to Lichtner as the artist laureate of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was the official artist of the Milwaukee Ballet. Lichtner also painted murals for industry and private clients. Schomer was a printmaker and produced block prints, lithographs, and serigraph prints. His casein (paint made from dairy products) and acrylic paintings are of the rural Wisconsin landscape and farm animals. He became interested in cows when he and Ruth spent summers near Holy Hill in Washington County. According to David Gordon, director of the Milwaukee Art Museum, Schomer Lichtner had a tremendous joie de vivre, " joy of life," and expressed it in his art. Schomer Lichtner was nationally known for his whimsical paintings and sculptures of black- and white-patterned Holstein cows and elegant ballerina dancers. Lichtner also painted all sorts of combinations of beautiful women, flowers and country landscapes. James Auer, former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel art critic, said that his art eventually "exploded into expressionistic design elements with bold, flat areas of color and high energy that anticipated Pop Art." Auer went on to describe Lichtner’s work as full of "wit, vigor and virtuosity." As early as 1930, Lichtner’s work was shown at the prestigious Carnegie International Exhibition in New York and at museums throughout the Midwest. As a student, he was a protégé of another icon of 20th century American art, Gustave Moeller...
Screen
$2,389
H 41 in W 26.76 in D 0.3 in
Original The Great Escape, 1963 Original Frank McCarthy Linen-backed Poster
Located in Spokane, WA
The Great Escape – 1963 Frank McCarthy Original Lithograph This 1963 Frank McCarthy lithograph captures the raw tension of one of cinema's great...
Offset
Canal St. Martin, Modern Lithograph by Bernard Buffet
By Bernard Buffet
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Bernard Buffet, French (1928 - 1999) Title: Canal St. Martin Year: 1968 Medium: Lithograph, signed in the plate Size: 19 x 23 in. (48.26 x 58.42 cm) Frame Size: 25 x 28.5 inc...
Lithograph
$341
H 29.93 in W 19.69 in
Hal Woolf: Christ of the Andes - vintage poster c. 1930s Argentina Chile border
By Hal Woolf
Located in London, GB
Hal Woolf Christ of the Andes Original Vintage Poster 76x50cm Printed by the David Allen Printing Co (London) Ltd., Wandsworth, SW18 Published by the League of Nations Union, 15 Cros...
Lithograph
$450
H 30 in W 22 in
Calvaire de Pierre, Modern Etching and Aquatint by Linda Plotkin
By Linda Plotkin
Located in Long Island City, NY
Linda Plotkin, American (1938 - ) - Calvaire de Pierre, Year: circa 1965, Medium: Etching and Aquatint on Arches, signed, titled and numbered in pencil, Edition: 64/75, Image Size...
Etching, Aquatint
$351
H 13.59 in W 9.06 in D 0.08 in
Seascape - Etching by Alcione Gubellini - Mid-20th Century
By Alcione Gubellini
Located in Roma, IT
Etching and drypoint realized by Alcione Gubellini in the mid-20th Century. Edition of 16. Hand signed and numbered in pencil. Excellent condition.
Etching
Early Fall, Modern Lithograph by Linda Plotkin
By Linda Plotkin
Located in Long Island City, NY
Linda Plotkin, American (1938 - ) - Early Fall, Year: circa 1965, Medium: Lithograph on Arches, signed, titled and numbered in pencil, Edition: 16/90, Image Size: 20.5 x 20 inche...
Lithograph
$409
H 14.18 in W 21.66 in D 0.08 in
Passage de la Ternoise - Etching by Théophile-Narcisse Chauvel - 1860 ca.
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on laid paper Signed in plate lower right: T. Chauvel Published by Cadart & Luquet, Éditeurs, 79 Rue Richelieu, Paris With the blindstamp of the Société des Aquafortistes...
Etching
$5,350
H 29.5 in W 43.5 in
"Circuit De L'Est" Original Aeronautical Lithograph Poster by Marguerite Montaut
By Marguerite Montaut
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Circuit De L'Est" is an original lithograph poster by Marguerite Montaut (GAMY). This artwork features an early biplane flying over farm fields. It is also passing over a river that...
Lithograph, Ink
$444
H 14.18 in W 21.66 in D 0.04 in
Hiver - Etching by Félix Bracquemond - 1865 ca.
By Félix Bracquemond
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on laid paper Sheet size: approx. 65 × 50 cm Signed in plate lower left: F. Bracquemond Published by Cadart & Luquet, Éditeurs, 79 Rue Richelieu, Paris With the blinds...
Etching
$281
H 3.55 in W 5.91 in D 0.04 in
Ancient View of the Ruins of Palmira - Original Lithograph - Mid-19th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Ancient Ruins of Palmira is an original modern artwork realized in the mid-19th Century. Original B/W Lithograph on Ivory Paper. Inscripted on the lower margin in Capital Letters...
Paper, Lithograph
Thirteenth Century Belfry; Hôtel De Ville, Abbeville
By John Taylor Arms
Located in Middletown, NY
Etching on buff wove J Whatman handmade paper with a partial watermark, 3 1/2 x 1 3/4 inches (89 x 44 mm), full margins. Signed in pencil and inscribed "III" in the lower margin. A p...
Handmade Paper, Etching
Birds and Fishes - Facsimile Lithograph, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Birds and Fishes, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1943 Unsigned Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different) On vellum 45 x...
Color
Bundle of 8 Woodcuts by M.C. Escher
By M.C. Escher
Located in Roma, IT
Bundle of woodcuts by M.C. Escher: Buoy,Well,Beehive,Signpost,Balance,Watering Can,Anvil and Colophon
Woodcut
NATURE - Flight of birds - Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Flight of birds, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1938 Unsigned Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different) On vellum 45 x ...
Color
NATURE - Flight of birds - Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Flight of birds, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1938 Unsigned Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different) On vellum 45 x ...
Color
The Waterfall - Signed Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) The Waterfall, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1935 Signed in the plate Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different) On vel...
Color
Between Sky and Water - Signed Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Between Sky and Water, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1938 Signed in the plate Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different...
Color
NATURE - Flight of birds - Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Flight of birds, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1938 Unsigned Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different) On vellum 45 x ...
Color
NATURE - Flock of Birds - Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Flock of Birds, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1938 Unsigned Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different) On vellum 45 x 3...
Color
NATURE - Autumn and Carp - Signed Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Birds and Fishes, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1943 Signed in the plate Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different) On ...
Color
Birds and Fishes - Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Birds and Fishes, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1943 Unsigned Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different) On vellum 45 x...
Color
STILL LIFE - Reptiles - Signed Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Still life with reptiles, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1943 Signed in the plate Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be differ...
Color
Metaphysics - Signed Facsimile, Ltd /450
By M.C. Escher
Located in Paris, IDF
M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972) Metaphysics, 2008 Facsimile after the original woodcut from 1935 Signed in the plate Numbered / 450 copies (the number you can see can be different) On vellu...
Color