Emblemata - Dice 1931

Maurits Cornelis Escher, the Dutch graphic artist, made this Emblemata woodcut, called ‘Dice’, with woodcutting. The print displays gambling paraphernalia, dice, cup, coins, and a wine glass, all commonly associated with gaming and chance. These objects sit atop a dramatically foreshortened table. Encircling the image is a Latin inscription, "Neminem Nisi Stultum Submittimus", and below it, a Dutch quatrain. Together they translate to "We submit to nobody but a fool, it was given to us to be subject to the vagaries of fortune, to guide us by desire, to mock at will." Escher’s detailed rendering creates a world that is both playful and serious, reflecting the ambivalent attitude towards gambling in Dutch society. By combining text and image, Escher evokes the traditions of emblem books, popular in the 16th and 17th centuries. But Escher updates this older form, presenting us with a distinctly modern take on morality. The print encapsulates Escher’s fascination with paradox and the subjective nature of reality. As historians, our work involves examining the cultural values that shape artistic creation. We can analyze the social rituals around games and gambling, using archival sources and visual culture. Escher's print shows how art can reflect and question social norms.