Special Sub-Topic: The Life of M. C. Escher Click Here To Play: The Life of M. C. Escher

What was M. C. Escher's birth name?

Maurits Cornelis Escher. M. C. Escher was born on June 17, 1898. He came to be nicknamed "Mauk."

What country was M. C. Escher born in?

The Netherlands. He was born in the city of Leeuwarden. Leeuwarden is in the Netherlands Province of Friesland. M. C. Escher was the youngest son of civil engineer George Arnold Escher and his second wife, Sara Gleichman.

Escher moved in 1903 to what city?

Arnhem. Escher started to take carpentry and piano lessons there until he was thirteen. Arnhem is in the Netherlands Province of Gelderland. In 1919, Escher decided to go to the the Haarlem School of Architecture and Decorative Arts.

M. C. Escher traveled through Italy and Spain in 1922, and married in 1924. What was his spouse's name?

Jetta Umiker. Escher settled with his wife in Rome and live there until 1935. He then moved to Switzerland with his wife for two years. After Switzerland, M. C. Escher moved to Belguim. M. C. Escher had to move one more time after that, back to the Netherlands, because of WWII.

Escher created his first drawing of impossible reality in 1937. What was that drawing's name?

Still Life and Street. "Still Life and Street" illustrates an office desk in front of a window looking out on a street.

Escher had mathematical training.

f. Amazingly, Escher did NOT have mathematical training. He apparently taught himself. Escher had poor grades, but he drew pictures very well. Even though Escher could draw well, he had bad grades and had to retake primary and secondary school.

On April 30, 1955, M. C. Escher received the "Order of Orange-Nassau" award.

t. The "Order of Orange-Nassau" is a military and civil order of the Netherlands, and also a Knighthood. He was awarded this for being an illustrious Dutchman who brought honor to his country via his works. The following classes and grades exist for the Order of Orange-Nassau: Knight Grand Cross Grand Officer Commander Officer Knight Member

In 1953 and 1961, Escher created two of his most famous works. What are these works titled?

Relativity and Waterfall & Waterfall and Relativity. Relativity and Waterfall are known as two of his best works. Relativity is an impossible reality of staircase that leads from one staircase to another. Relativity was also in a Family Guy episode and Stewie called the drawing "Crazy Stairs." Waterfall is also an impossible reality that has two towers with a pathway in between. That pathway leads to a smaller building, but also is under the two towers.

Escher created his last work in 1969. What was it titled?

Snakes. Snakes was a woodcut. Snakes has rotational symmetry of order 3, comprising a single wedge-shaped image which is repeated three times in a circle. It was made in July of 1969.

What kind of art did M. C. Escher NOT do?

landscapes. Even though Escher was an artist, in a way, he also used mathematical science. He did some works that were considered "impossible constructions." "Impossible constructions" are works that are a type of 2-D figure but are interpreted as a 3-D figure. M. C. Escher died on March 27, 1972 at the age of 73.