Still Life (1943) by M.C. Escher

Still Life - M.C. Escher - 1943

Artwork Information

TitleStill Life
ArtistM.C. Escher
Date1943
Art MovementSurrealism

About Still Life

The artwork “Still Life” was created by the artist M.C. Escher in the year 1943. This composition is categorized within the Surrealism movement and is indeed a still life genre piece. Escher’s work is renowned for its intricate play with perspective, space, and reality, which is consistent with the themes of Surrealism—challenging the normal perceptions of the world.

In this intricate composition, the artwork features a variety of objects that together form a paradoxical and thought-provoking scene. At the center, a bird with an elongated neck stands on an open book, its feet resting on the smooth pages. The book, splayed wide open, contributes to the sense of unnatural balance within the piece.

On the left side of the artwork, a knight figurine from a chess set is depicted playing a flute. This chess piece, seeming to have come to life, stands on a block that may resemble a pedestal or perhaps another closed book. Above the bird and to the right in the composition appears to be a framed picture, yet the depicted frame seems to elude conventional interpretation, opening up into the same space occupied by the bird and the chess piece, blurring the lines between the artwork within the artwork and the supposed ‘reality’ of the objects presented.

Below the knight, there is a complex and seemingly impossible object, often referred to as an “impossible cube” or “Necker cube,” which Escher plays with to further distort the viewer’s perception, adding to the overall surrealist nature of this piece.

Escher’s fine detailing, particularly visible in the feathers of the bird, the intricate armor of the knight, and the worn texture of the books, contributes significantly to the tactile realism of this piece, juxtaposed with the surreal composition and challenging spatial relationships. The artwork’s monochromatic palette is consistent with Escher’s printmaking techniques, which rely on stark contrast and meticulous shading to achieve depth and definition.

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