Manourie 1950

M.C. Escher made this drawing of Manourie, we think in 1950, in graphite and chalk on paper. Look at how the grey of the paper peeks through, acting as a foundation for the entire scene; the artist builds the composition up from there. There’s something so graphic about the way Escher renders form, the grey paper almost flattened by the graphic quality of the marks. Notice the texture in the roofs, or how the trees are built up of small, scribbled dashes. These marks have an energy all of their own and I feel it gives the drawing a really engaging vitality. Escher's prints and drawings explore tessellations, impossible spaces, and other kinds of visual play; it makes sense that he was fascinated by mark-making. You can see antecedents for this approach in the work of Piranesi, who also had an interest in architectural subjects. However, this piece offers a more direct, intimate glimpse into his way of seeing. What do you see?