M. C. (MAURITS) ESCHER I
(1898 - 1972)
M. C. Escher was born June 17, 1898 in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. His parents always referred to him as Mauk. Actually, he was raised by his father, George, and his step-mother, Sarah. His father was an engineer, which may have later influenced his work. The family hoped for him to be an architect, but he failed his final exams. Escher began his art career with drawing and woodcut technique. In 1920, Escher enrolled at the School for Architecture and Decorative Arts at Haarlem, trying to please his father's hope for him to study architecture. Here he met Samuel Jesserum de Mequita, a graphics arts teacher. This teacher taught him woodcut techniques and let him experiment. He frequently sketched landscapes, plants and insects. Many of the plants and insects appear in his later work. The artist is said to have been so detailed that he selected the shape, quantity and size of slices of cheese, so they exactly covered his bread. Escher married Jetta Umiker on June 12, 1924 and they had three children. He and his family traveled extensively with Escher and his wife sketching constantly. Many of these sketches were the basis for his later work. Escher had a fascination with order, symetry and infinity and it is very apparent in his work. The final woodcut Snakes took six months to complete. He had fallen ill in 1964 and this last woodcut was unveiled in July, 1969. M. C. Escher passed away on March 17, 1972 in Laren, Netherlands.
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