San Cosimo 1932

M.C. Escher made this wood engraving titled 'San Cosimo', where everything is built from sharp, deliberate marks. Look at how Escher uses the physicality of the medium to create a world that feels both real and impossible. See those lines carving out the clouds and the mountains? Each one has to be made with intention and care. And then there are the buildings, clinging to the side of the cliff, solid, and yet somehow precarious. Notice the mark-making in the lower left, how he creates depth and texture in the rock face. Escher reminds me a bit of Piranesi in his ability to create dizzying perspectives. Like Piranesi, he invites us to lose ourselves in the image, but in Escher's case, it's not just about the scale or the detail, it's about the way he plays with space and perception. It’s a reminder that art is a conversation, an ongoing exploration of ideas, and that meaning is never fixed, but always open to interpretation.