Magic Mirror of Mc Escher

Long before the first computer-generated 3-D images, Escher was a master of the third dimension; his lithograph Magic Mirror dates back to 1946. By taking such a title for the book, mathematician Bruno Ernst stressed the enrapturing spell Escher's work invariably casts on those who see it. Escher's work refuses to be pigeonholed. Scientific, psychological, or aesthetic criteria alone cannot do it justice. The questions remain: Why did he create the pictures? How did he construct them? What preliminary studies were necessary before achieving the final version? And how are his various creations interrelated? This updated and redesigned edition of a true classic offers answers to these and many other lingering mysteries, and is an authentic source text of the first order.