The Mathematics of Imagination
Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972) had almost no formal mathematical training and nearly failed his high school exams in the subject. Yet his graphic art shows an intuitive grasp of complex mathematical principles. This museum, housed in a former royal palace, contains over 120 of his works showing the logic and geometry of space. Escher's fascination with filling a flat surface with interlocking figures—or tessellations—was ignited during a 1922 visit to the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain. He studied the abstract geometric tilings of the Moorish landmark and spent his career developing these ideas.
Instead of abstract shapes, Escher used what he called "recognizable shapes"—figures of animals like birds, fish, and reptiles that transform into one another across the print. He independently worked out the geometric rules for these repeating patterns, using operations that mathematicians call translations, reflections, and rotations. His work explores concepts of infinity, duality, and paradox. One of his most famous pieces, the 7-meter-long woodcut Metamorphosis III, shows a seamless transformation of abstract shapes into insects, fish, birds, and a city skyline before returning to the abstract, creating an endless cycle.
A Palace of Impossible Worlds
The museum itself is located in the Lange Voorhout Palace, a stately building constructed in 1764. From 1901 until her death in 1934, it served as the winter palace for Queen Emma of the Netherlands. Since November 2002, the palace has held Escher's work. While the historic royal ambiance is preserved, whimsical touches connect to the artist's imaginative world. Dutch artist Hans van Bentem designed fifteen unique crystal chandeliers for the rooms, including ones shaped like a skull, a shark, and a spider, and umbrellas.
On the second floor is an interactive space called "Through Escher's Eyes". Here, visitors can engage directly with the principles Escher used. One popular exhibit is the "Escher Room," an installation that plays with perspective to make adults appear smaller than children. Other stations allow you to create your own digital tessellations or interact with impossible figures. An Optical Art room challenges visual perception with illusions where stationary objects appear to move, a concept central to much of Escher's work. These exhibits provide a hands-on experience of the mathematical logic underpinning the art.