Porta Maria dell'Ospidale, Ravello
1932
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View on museum website →Medium
wood engraving on thin white laid paper (China?)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Seymour and Iris Schwartz Collection
Accession Number
1981.80.23
Art Historical Context
In 1932, Dutch artist M.C. Escher the charming medieval architecture of Ravello a hilltop town on Italy's Amalfi Coast, in his wood engraving *Porta Maria dell'Oidale, Ravello*. This print depicts the historic "Gate of Mary of the Hospital a narrow stone portal evoking the region's layered history of monasteries, fortifications, and scenic vistas. Printed on thin white laid paper—possibly China paper for its smooth texture—Escher's work exemplifies his early mastery of wood engraving, a labor-intensive intaglio technique where intricate details are carved into wood blocks and inked under press...
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...