Maurits Cornelis Escher was born on June 17, 1898 in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. At a young age, Escher was encouraged by his father to learn carpentry and other craft skills. Though he was not a very good student in general, his artistic talent was apparent early in his schooling. He was encouraged by his family and friends to pursue this interest in a regular career, namely architecture. Once at the School for Architecture and Decorative Arts, however, Escher realized that his true passion lay in the graphic arts.

He spent the next two years at art school, where he mastered graphic and woodcutting techniques. Upon completion of his schooling, he traveled extensively through Southern France, Spain and Italy. During these travels, he garnered numerous inspirations for his work.  Throughout his career as an artist, Escher was fascinated by the art of structure. Though his early work tended toward realistic portrayals of the landscape and architecture observed during his travels, it reflected a greater fascination for structural constructs than for the landscape itself.

Escher visited the Alhambra in Granada several times, as he was captivated by the Moorish ornamentations that filled the entire space on the walls. The inspiration there lay the foundation for his work after 1937, for which he is most famous. These works involve repeated patterns and regular divisions of the plane, impossible constructions, and infinite space. His work from then until his death in 1972 was driven by a unique understanding of mathematical concepts. Through his wondrous creations, Escher was able to lay a symbolic bridge between the realms of art and science.

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