2023 May - Escher in the Palace

When growing up, I was obsessed with the movie Labyrinth. It probably is the root for a lot of things I love: owls, Escher, fantasy, and Goblin King's, of course. I searched and searched for a puzzle of the poster in Sarah's room. My Grandmother found one and brought it to her annual beach retreat, and invited me, my sister, and my mom. It would be the last time we would all be together. I have the puzzle hanging in my home, and now I've been able to see the real one. 

As 2023 is the 125th anniversary of Escher’s birth and to celebrate, works from his teacher Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita were shown, too. I like his work too (I like woodcut style anything)!  But I was thrilled to be able to see the Metamorphoses, Ascending and Descending, and Waterfall. Some were new to me, like Paradise and 5th Day of Creation. 

The insane detail on works like Scarabs and Inside St. Peters is amazing. The latter literally made me dizzy (it's a view from an extremely high kanted angle). I think I have a new favorite work though. Verbum, 1942, just, grabbed me. The land and sea and air, surrounded and edged by microbes and undersea life. It's beautiful. 

Day and Night, 1938.

Other World, 1947

I couldn't possibly last them all, but it was an amazing exhibit, especially seeing de Mesquita's work paired in. 

A note on the Palace:

The Palace is actually the winter Palace of Dutch queen Emma. Only one room still had furniture, everything else being converted into gallery for Escher. But, the descriptions of the rooms and their purpose were screenwriter on the window shades, so it was kind of two tours in one. 

There are VERY weird glass chandelier in each room: bird, pirate skull, saxophone...