Escher, M(aurits) C(ornelis) (1898-1972)

Dutch graphic artist. His prints are often based on mathematical concepts and contain paradoxes and illusions. The lithograph Ascending and Descending (1960), with interlocking staircases creating a perspective puzzle, is a typical work. His work has continued to fascinate artists, mathematicians, psychologists, and the general public.

Born in Leeuwarden, Netherlands, Escher studied at the School of Architecture and Decorative Arts in Haarlem, where he was especially interested in woodcuts. His early work was mainly of landscapes, inspired by the period he spent travelling around Europe. His later work revolved around the tessellation of geometric shapes, on which subject he published a book Regelmatige vlak verdeling/The Regular Division of the Plane, in 1958.