Tournai Cathedral (August 1934) 1934

Curator: Look at the imposing Tournai Cathedral through the eyes of M.C. Escher. He crafted this view in August 1934 using woodcut. It's a striking cityscape, rendered in sharp black and white. Editor: Stark is the word that comes to mind. The sharp contrast and intricate detail create a rather haunting feeling. It’s both beautiful and unsettling at the same time. Curator: Escher was deeply interested in tessellations and mathematical patterns, something we see evidence of here in his very deliberate architectural depiction. His exploration of space is a clear nod to the rise of Modernism at the time. But look at the position he took—the average resident's view is dominated by the cathedral. Editor: Absolutely. The towering cathedral almost bears down on the tightly packed houses below. The sharp, upward thrusting spires suggest a spiritual striving, but they also read as rather intimidating symbols of institutional power. This tension—faith versus daily life, aspiration versus oppression—permeates the work. The cross atop each tower piercing the sky reinforces it. Curator: The vantage point Escher chooses here creates a hierarchical landscape, something that I’m certain would not be unintentional. Escher spent much of his time traveling through Europe capturing townscapes like this one. There are obvious connections with the printmaking traditions from the North. Editor: You can certainly feel echoes of Dürer and other printmakers. But Escher infuses his print with a distinct, almost dreamlike, quality. The strict geometry, balanced with more organic rooftops feels surreal. Even the sky is unusual. Curator: Note also the density and flatness, so characteristic of woodcuts. Escher certainly takes an unusual interest in how different perspectives come together on a flat plane, disrupting typical representational strategies. Editor: It certainly makes one contemplate not just the architectural forms, but the very nature of belief, social structure, and even how we perceive reality itself. Curator: The cultural symbolism combined with unique perspective—Escher's lens brings the powerful Cathedral into conversation with the people who it watches over. Editor: Leaving me pondering on the legacy and lasting implications of faith and its physical manifestations in our daily lives.