Porta Maria dell'Ospidale, Ravello 1932

M.C. Escher created this lithograph, Porta Maria dell'Ospedale, Ravello, in 1932. Escher was Dutch, but spent a number of years living in Italy. During the interwar period, travel to Italy was popular, especially amongst upper and middle class Northern Europeans, who sought out the picturesque qualities of the country. The crisp monochromatic contrasts in Escher's image highlight the geometry of the architecture, but equally cast the image in a stark, modernist light. While tourism can be a source of cultural exchange and economic benefit, we must acknowledge the power dynamics inherent in who gets to travel, who is seen, and who gets to do the seeing. Escher avoids the typical romantic or orientalist vision of Italy that was popular at the time, but can we consider his vision as an outsider looking in? How does this awareness shape our own perceptions?