M.C Escher

Dutch graphic artist Maurits Cornelis Escher, usually referred to as M.C Escher, was born 17th of June 1898. He is known for his often mathematically inspired wood cuts, lithographs and mezzotints. These feature many impossible constructions and great explorations of infinity creating a great amount of surrealism.

Maurits Cornelis, nicknamed "Mauk" was born in Leeuwarden, in The Netherlands. He was the youngest child of George Arnold Escher and his second wife, Sara Gleichman.
In 1903, the family moved to Arnhem, where Escher attended primary and secondary school until 1918.

Although he excelled in drawing, his grades were generally poor. He also took carpentry and piano lessons until the age of 13.
In 1919, Escher attended the Haarlem School of Architecture and Decorative Arts. He briefly studied Architecture but failed a number of subjects and switched to Decorative Arts, studying under Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita. In 1922, Escher left school, having gained experience in drawing and making woodcuts.  

The year 1922 was a very important year in Escher's life. He traveled through Italy and Spain. He was impressed by the Italian countryside and the Alhambra, a 14th century Moorish Castle in Granada, Spain. These impressions had a big influence on his works.

In Italy he met Jetta Umiker, who he married in 1924. The young couple settled in Rome where their son, Giorgio Arnaldo Escher, was born.

Due to political reasons the family moved in 1935 to Switzerland. Being very fond of the landscapes of Italy, Escher did not like the move to Switzerland, so the family moved again to Uccle, a suburb of Brussels, Belgium. World War Two forced them to move again in January 1941, this time to Baarn, in The Netherlands, where Escher lived til 1970. Most of his better known works are dated between this period of time.

Escher moved to Rose Spier house in Laren in 1970, a retirement home for artists, where he had his own studio. He died at the home on the 27th of March 1972, at age 73.