Scholastica (Bad Dream) 1931

M.C. Escher created this unsettling print, "Scholastica (Bad Dream)," through the precise art of wood engraving. Look at how Escher builds this scene with a multitude of tiny marks. The controlled chaos of the radiating lines, the way they swarm from every point in the image, gives the piece its peculiar energy. The stark contrast of black and white reinforces the dreamlike, high-contrast quality. The texture is palpable, almost abrasive. The lines create depth, defining shapes but also blurring the boundaries, especially around the figure holding the candle. The light from the candle pushes back the darkness and makes the whole image jump and vibrate. The linear precision, for me, recalls the work of Albrecht Dürer, another master of printmaking who knew how to build a world with the simplest of means. Escher uses the nature of linear reproduction to create a nightmarish vision that haunts and fascinates. The longer you look, the less clear the picture becomes, which is the beauty of it!