Spider in the Garden (design for a ceramic plate) 1920

Here is a design for a ceramic plate, called Spider in the Garden, by M.C. Escher. Imagine Escher making this, maybe he’s thinking of how the spider builds their web, strand by strand. The web is so carefully constructed, it’s almost architectural. I love the mix of naturalism and geometry here, the spider's web at the center, then this ring of leaves and branches, all enclosed by a circle of blue. It's decorative, sure, but there's something deeper going on too, a meditation on nature, and artifice. The spider at the center is so still, so observant. What would it be like to be a spider in the garden, spinning your web, waiting for something to happen? It is like the artist at the canvas, making their work, waiting for something to happen. Escher's inviting us to consider how nature and art intertwine, how patterns emerge, and how even the humblest creature can create something beautiful and complex.