September 30 – December 30, 2023
M.C. Escher (1898 – 1972), Relativity, 1953. Lithograph, 27.7 x 29.2 cm. Private Collection, Image copyright of the M.C. Escher Co.
Holmes and Titelman Galleries
The Museum presents M.C. Escher: Infinite Variations, in the Fall of 2023. A consummate boundary-pusher and arguably the most famous printmaker of the modern era, Maurits Cornelius Escher (Dutch, 1898–1972) used his work to challenge perspectives, deftly exploring the relationships between art and science, reality and illusion, chaos and order, and logic and absurdity.
Escher’s images pervade popular culture and fascinate audiences with their imaginative design, consummate draftsmanship, and dreamy visions. Initially inspired by nature, Escher’s work later became submerged in what he referred to as “mental imagery,” a host of subjects influenced by Moorish architecture, mathematical equations, alchemy, and the concept of metamorphosis.
This is the largest private traveling Escher collection in the world and includes woodcuts, lithographs, drawings, and all eight mezzotints from his career. “Escher has to be one of the most recognized artists of the twentieth century. His mind-bending, reality-warping prints include subjects like infinite staircases, tessellating birds changing into fish and back again, and two hands drawing one another,” says VBMA Senior Curator Anke Van Wagenberg of her fellow Dutchman. “His work is known and beloved today by everyone from kids to designers to scientists, and we’re looking forward to sharing it with all our visitors.”