Cave Dwellings (near Sperlinga), Sicily 1933

M.C. Escher made this lithograph of Cave Dwellings near Sperlinga, Sicily using black ink on white paper. I can imagine Escher meticulously drawing the cave's interior, building up layers of tiny marks to create this scene, so full of darkness and light. The light areas are dazzling, almost vibrating against the deep shadows. It’s like he's carving out the space, not just describing it. You can feel the cool, damp air of the cave, and hear the echoes of footsteps. There's something so elemental about it – the simple contrast between black and white, the way the forms emerge from the darkness. Think of Goya, another printmaker, using aquatint to create the grainy shadows. It’s a reminder that artists are always in conversation with each other, inspired by the world around them, and finding new ways to express what it means to be human.