December Famous Artist of the Month: M. C. Escher

I am excited for my students to be learning about M. C. Escher this month. He was an artist with a vivid imagination and amazing technical precision. It is interesting that he failed math in the school, as his artwork, especially his tessellations, are very mathematical in nature.

This text below M. C. Escher's photograph on the bulletin board reads:

M.C. Escher

Born: June 17, 1898
Died: March 27, 1972
Nationality: Netherlands
Art style: Tessellations; Op Art; Surreallism

Maurits Cornelis Escher was the youngest of 5 boys. He was raised by his father and his step mother. M.C. Escher’s father was a civil engineer, and engineering influenced his art.

M.C. Escher was a sickly child, and was drawn to music and creative endeavors. He was not good at math, and technically never graduated from high school, since he could not pass the final math exams.

After high school, M.C. Escher studied at the School for Architecture and Decorative Arts in Haarlem, Netherlands. He became interested in graphic design and woodblock printmaking.

Despite failing math in school, M.C. Escher’s art is characterized by mathematical precision, especially in his tessellations (designs where shapes interlock like puzzle pieces).

November 2017 Art Awards

Kindergarten:

1st Grade:

2nd Grade:

3rd Grade:

4th Grade:

5th Grade:

6th Grade: