Escher, M(aurits) C(ornelis)

(born June 17, 1898, Leeuwarden, Neth.—died March 27, 1972, Laren) Dutch graphic artist. He became well-known for prints in which he used realistic detail to achieve bizarre optical illusions, such as staircases that appear to lead both up and down from the same level. His work assumed a Surrealist flavour as he began depicting unexpected metamorphoses of mundane objects. His works were of interest to mathematicians, cognitive psychologists, and the general public and were widely reproduced throughout the 20th century.

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