Farmhouse, Ravello 1931

M.C. Escher created this lithograph, Farmhouse, Ravello, during his time in Italy. The image presents a stark contrast between the solid white buildings and the dark landscape surrounding them. Escher lived in Italy between 1923 and 1935, a period marked by the rise of Fascism under Benito Mussolini. While Escher wasn't overtly political in his art, the Italian context influenced his perception and representation of space and form. The architecture, with its Romanesque and Arab-Norman influences, may be seen as representative of Italian identity. Escher's meticulous attention to detail and geometric forms might be seen as a response to the ideological emphasis on order and control in Fascist Italy. What kind of response? Was he in favour of this order or against it? These are the kind of questions that social art historians investigate by looking at period documents. We can only speculate without further investigation.