Ravello I 1923

M.C. Escher made this drawing, Ravello I, with pen and ink and, oh boy, you can tell he had the patience of a saint! I imagine him hunched over a table, each tiny line a deliberate act of love. Look at the density of marks that create the gradations of dark and light! It’s a jungle of textures. There are plants overlapping and intertwining, almost fighting for space on the page. The whole drawing is an exercise in seeing—not just looking, but really, really seeing. You can imagine Escher noticing all the tiny details. The lizard sitting there sunning itself on the rock. What would it be like to make such a complex world from scratch? He probably didn't use photographs, so he made it up from memory and dreams. I wonder how he managed to keep track of it all, and how long it took! When I zoom in, I get lost in his world and find myself wondering, what kind of imaginary worlds can I create?