The 5th Day of the Creation 1926

Editor: This woodcut, "The 5th Day of the Creation," created in 1926 by M.C. Escher, is so intricate! I’m struck by how he manages to capture the energy of creation, even in a static black and white image. What catches your eye in this piece? Curator: What fascinates me is how Escher is engaging with deeply rooted creation narratives, particularly from Genesis, and re-interpreting them through the lens of early 20th-century anxieties about industrialization and its impact on the natural world. Notice how he positions the viewer above and how meticulously the animals are displayed. Editor: It feels like a snapshot, not a comprehensive view, maybe suggestive of the limitations of our knowledge. Do you think there is also a conversation to be had about representation and knowledge? Curator: Absolutely. Escher lived through a period where scientific classification was becoming increasingly influential. His careful detailing, his stark black and white palette almost turns the work into a scientific catalogue. Editor: That's a fascinating idea – it's both artistic and scientific! And maybe also biblical: "The Fifth Day" of the Creation refers to the day God created aquatic creatures and birds. Do you see any contemporary messages beyond those? Curator: Yes, and I think Escher is acutely aware of the human desire to classify and understand, maybe even control, the natural world. This piece invites a conversation about how we frame our relationship with the environment and questions the inherent power dynamics embedded in such acts of "creation" or categorization. Editor: So, through revisiting the biblical creation story, Escher's not just illustrating it, he is inviting a broader critique of our role within the world. Curator: Precisely! And perhaps hinting at the arrogance in assuming dominion. We began looking and analyzing in Escher a scientific process, and finished revealing contemporary thinking around power structures!