Circle Limit III
1959
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
woodcut in green
Dimensions
image (diameter): 44.1 cm (17 3/8 in.) sheet: 47 x 59.5 cm (18 1/2 x 23 7/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Print Purchase Fund (Rosenwald Collection)
Accession Number
1984.61.14
Art Historical Context
**Circle Limit III** (1959) is a mesmerizing woodcut by Dutch artist M.C. Escher, for his mind-bending explorations of mathematics and infinity. Printed in a single, vivid green ink on a 47 x 59.5 cm sheet, circular composition (44.1 cm diameter) a hypnotic tessellation of fantastical fish-like creatures swimming perfect symmetry. As they multiply toward the edges, their sizes diminish dramatically, creating an illusion of boundless space confined within a finite circle—a visual marvel now housed in the National Gallery of Art's Rosenwald Collection. Escher created this masterpiece during his...
About the Artist
M.C. Escher
Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972) was a Dutch graphic artist renowned for his mathematically-inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints featuring impossible constructions, tessellations, and explorations of infinity. Though he considered himself lacking in mathematical ability, Escher's work demonstrates profound intuitive understanding of geometry, symmetry, and spatial paradox. A transform...