Fascinating Escher

Dad visited us a few weeks ago.  We went to the Escher Museum in the historical heart of Den Haag. 

If the artist's name does not strike a bell, here's a clue: 

The museum is housed in the Palace of Queen Emma.  Besides the drawings, equally fascinating are the 15 crystal chandeliers designed by Dutch sculptor, Hans van Bentem.  The massive "Rain Cloud" one below is at the foyer.

The museum houses many of Escher's lesser known illustrations:

This may look like a cut, copy and paste job, but the entire thing is actually drawn and painted on graph paper with accurate angles.

Escher was fascinated by the concepts of eternity and infinity, which are well conveyed in his drawings.  He was also interested in the mathematical concept of tessellation which can be seen here in his final print, "Snakes".  3 realistic snakes intertwine through the edge of a circular tessellation that grows progressively smaller.

For more pictures, see our album on picasaweb: http://picasaweb.google.com/110776657145071773017/EscherMuseum2010#



The Fathomless Deep Optical Illusion Box, one of the several interactive exhibits in the museum.

We ended the visit with a walk to the Parliament House by the lake.  5.15pm, with a beautiful full moon.