Santa Severina, Calabria 1930

M.C. Escher made this drawing, Santa Severina, Calabria, with graphite on paper. Just looking at this, I can imagine Escher carefully mapping the contours of the landscape. It's almost like he's building the town, one line at a time, following the curves of the road. The density of the graphite gives depth and weight to the architecture. The town sits atop the mountain like a crown. It reminds me of other artists who were fascinated by place, like Cezanne. There is a sense of light here. The light creates all these contrasting shadows that stretch down the mountainside. Escher is playing with the shapes and how they converge. It is almost like the town is emerging out of the landscape itself. I bet he was working on this on location. I wonder what he was thinking about as he made it.