Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Art Review - Ascending and Descending by M.C. Escher

The Currier Museum currently houses an array of works from the great artist M.C. Escher. His works include pictures depicting mirror images, shape repetition, and infinite stairways. One such looping staircase is illustrated in “Ascending and Descending”.

The lithograph utilizes a Penrose staircase, where each set of stairs leads into the next in a square shape, to represent Escher’s infinite structure. Identical men, clothed in robes, patrol the railings of the stairs. Their pants are high enough to reveal their legs which reveal the direction that they are going in: up or down. Below, another man watches opposite the men above. His small stature emphasizes the overall size of the structure.

The art requires deep visual and thematic anaylsis. Visually, the structure appears to be a keep, either used for housing or military. The height and guards suggest that the men need to look out for something unknown. The building contains multiple entrances on the ground floor, implying that the structure is used for housing.  A military structure would be more fortified.

Escher cleverly symbolizes the themes of the lithograph in the men. On the roof, men walking endlessly suggests a criticism on conformity. All these men have no purpose but to circle the top of the building. Elsewhere on the keep, a man guards a lower floor and another sits on a set of stairs. Perhaps these men are reflecting instead of blindly doing. Escher allows for many meanings to be derived from his work.


Ascending and Descending is a treat for viewers who wish to see a pleasing picture as well as a thought provoking piece. It is just one of many currently available for viewing in the M.C. Escher Experience at the Currier Museum in Manchester, New Hampshire.  

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