Procession in Crypt 1927

Editor: Escher's "Procession in Crypt," from 1927, rendered in monochrome, evokes a feeling of mystery, perhaps even a little unease. The rows of figures and the seemingly endless columns draw the eye into the distance. What stands out to you in terms of symbolic meaning within this image? Curator: The crypt, in itself, is a potent symbol. Historically, it represents a space of burial, of transition. But look at how Escher crafts it—the repetition of columns, arches. Doesn't it also remind you of a mind palace, a space for memory? The figures, each bearing a light, could be interpreted as carriers of knowledge, perhaps initiates. Editor: I hadn't considered the idea of knowledge bearers. I was more caught up in the, perhaps, religious connotations. The robes, the procession itself… Curator: Precisely! That ambiguity is key. Escher invites us to bring our own cultural and psychological baggage to the viewing experience. Are they monks, scholars, or perhaps something more enigmatic? The geometric precision, too, shouldn't be overlooked. It suggests order, a system—but to what end? Editor: So, the architecture both grounds us in historical reality, yet also suggests something more abstract, a kind of internal architecture of thought and belief? Curator: Exactly. Consider the psychological impact of repetition – the columns, the figures, even the lines in the arched ceilings. How does that repetitive pattern influence your interpretation of their purpose, of the crypt itself? Editor: That creates a sense of ritual, doesn’t it? Binding them – and us as the viewers – to something cyclical. The lights, of course, standing out from the dark, providing some, perhaps temporary, hope, some vision in all the encompassing dark. Curator: I agree! Considering Escher’s background with printmaking, and especially the limitations he experienced when producing woodcuts and lithographs, there is a deep interplay between memory and symbol. A memory translated through symbols, translated from monochrome reality. Editor: Thank you – thinking of the crypt as an interior space for symbols rather than simply a religious setting really unlocks the piece for me.