Metamorphosis II
Encyclopedia
Metamorphosis II is a woodcut
print by the Dutch
artist M. C. Escher
. It was created between November, 1939 and March, 1940. This print measures 19.2 by 389.5 cm (7.6 by 153.3 ) and was printed from 20 blocks on 3 combined sheets.
Like Metamorphosis I
, the concept of this piece is to morph one image into a tessellated
pattern and then slowly alter that pattern eventually to become a new image.
The process begins left to right with the word metamorphose (the Dutch
form of the word metamorphosis
) in a black rectangle, followed by several smaller metamorphose rectangles forming a grid pattern. This grid then becomes a black and white checkered pattern which then becomes tessellations of reptiles, a honeycomb, insects, fish, birds and a pattern of three dimensional blocks with red tops.
These blocks then become the architecture of the Italian coastal town of Atrani (see Atrani, Coast of Amalfi
). In this image Atrani is linked by a bridge to a tower in the water which is actually a rook piece from a chess set. There are other chess pieces in the water and the water becomes a chess board. The chess board leads to a checkered wall which then returns to the word metamorphose.
Woodcut
Woodcut—occasionally known as xylography—is a relief printing artistic technique in printmaking in which an image is carved into the surface of a block of wood, with the printing parts remaining level with the surface while the non-printing parts are removed, typically with gouges...
print by the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
artist M. C. Escher
M. C. Escher
Maurits Cornelis Escher , usually referred to as M. C. Escher , was a Dutch graphic artist. He is known for his often mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints...
. It was created between November, 1939 and March, 1940. This print measures 19.2 by 389.5 cm (7.6 by 153.3 ) and was printed from 20 blocks on 3 combined sheets.
Like Metamorphosis I
Metamorphosis I
Metamorphosis I is a woodcut print by the Dutch artist M. C. Escher which was first printed in May, 1937. This piece measures and is printed on two sheets....
, the concept of this piece is to morph one image into a tessellated
Tessellation
A tessellation or tiling of the plane is a pattern of plane figures that fills the plane with no overlaps and no gaps. One may also speak of tessellations of parts of the plane or of other surfaces. Generalizations to higher dimensions are also possible. Tessellations frequently appeared in the art...
pattern and then slowly alter that pattern eventually to become a new image.
The process begins left to right with the word metamorphose (the Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
form of the word metamorphosis
Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation...
) in a black rectangle, followed by several smaller metamorphose rectangles forming a grid pattern. This grid then becomes a black and white checkered pattern which then becomes tessellations of reptiles, a honeycomb, insects, fish, birds and a pattern of three dimensional blocks with red tops.
These blocks then become the architecture of the Italian coastal town of Atrani (see Atrani, Coast of Amalfi
Atrani, Coast of Amalfi
Atrani, Coast of Amalfi is a lithograph print by the Dutch artist M. C. Escher, first printed in August 1931. Atrani is a small town and commune on the Amalfi Coast in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy. Atrani is the second smallest town in Italy and was built...
). In this image Atrani is linked by a bridge to a tower in the water which is actually a rook piece from a chess set. There are other chess pieces in the water and the water becomes a chess board. The chess board leads to a checkered wall which then returns to the word metamorphose.
See also
- Metamorphosis IMetamorphosis IMetamorphosis I is a woodcut print by the Dutch artist M. C. Escher which was first printed in May, 1937. This piece measures and is printed on two sheets....
- Metamorphosis IIIMetamorphosis IIIMetamorphosis III is a woodcut print by the Dutch artist M. C. Escher which was created by between 1967 and 1968. Measuring 19 cm × 680 cm , this is Escher’s largest print and most likely the largest print ever made. It was printed on thirty-three blocks on six combined sheets and mounted...
- Regular Division of the PlaneRegular Division of the PlaneRegular Division of the Plane is a series of drawings by the Dutch artist M. C. Escher which began in 1936. These images are based on the principle of tessellation, irregular shapes or combinations of shapes that interlock completely to cover a surface or plane.The inspiration for these works began...
- TessellationTessellationA tessellation or tiling of the plane is a pattern of plane figures that fills the plane with no overlaps and no gaps. One may also speak of tessellations of parts of the plane or of other surfaces. Generalizations to higher dimensions are also possible. Tessellations frequently appeared in the art...
- PrintmakingPrintmakingPrintmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...
Sources
- Locher, J.L. (2000). The Magic of M. C. Escher. Harry N. Abrams, Inc. ISBN 0-8109-6720-0.