Initial S
probably 1932
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
woodcut on thin Japan paper
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Seymour and Iris Schwartz Collection
Accession Number
1981.80.9
Art Historical Context
**Initial S** (probably 1932) is a captivating woodcut by the renowned Dutch artist M.C. Escher, on delicate thin Japan paper. Escher, celebrated for his mind-bending tessellations and impossible architectures, crafted this piece during a prolific period of experimentation in the early 1930s, while living in Italy. Woodcuts like this one showcase his mastery of the medium, where intricate carvings on wood blocks allow for bold contrasts and exquisite detail, transferred onto the translucent, high-quality Japan paper prized by printmakers for its absorbency and texture. As an "Initial S," the ...
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...