Emblemata - Anvil 1931

In this woodcut we can see M.C. Escher's fascination with geometric forms. The image is constructed from densely packed vertical and horizontal lines, a whole world built from slashes and blocks. I can imagine Escher carefully carving away at the woodblock, a painstaking process of reduction, where each mark is decisive and irreversible. What was he thinking as he scratched away at the surface? What kind of labor and care did he apply to each element? It's like he's building an entire cosmos from nothing. The image has an incredible graphic presence; it could be a print, or a sign. It feels deeply allegorical, in the tradition of emblems and symbols. You can feel how the stark contrasts and repetitive motifs create a dynamic tension, as if it’s about to burst off the surface. It reminds me of other graphic artists like Josef Albers or Bridget Riley, who explored the potential of perception and the visual field. The artwork embodies a dialogue across time, and a continuity of practice, where artists respond to each other's work in an ongoing conversation.