Scholastica Illustration 1932

M.C. Escher made this illustration, Scholastica, using ink. Look at the sharp contrast of white lines against the dark black background. The image is busy, crammed with creatures running amok. There’s a real sense of chaos, like a dream gone wild. I imagine Escher hunched over his work, meticulously inking each line, each figure born from his imagination. The lines create movement. Figures and creatures rush upwards and outwards. I wonder what it was like for Escher to conjure these forms? The lines are sure and deliberate. There is a lot of attention to detail on the scales of the fish or the fur and feathers of other figures. Escher and his contemporaries inspire each other, across time. It’s like one big conversation, with artists riffing off each other’s ideas. This piece really embodies the ongoing dialogue among artists, and their attempts to capture something essential about what it means to be alive. It asks us to stay curious and open to new ideas and possibilities.