The Vertical Village
In the summer of 1931, M.C. Escher returned to follow that vision. He climbed nearly five hundred steps to the Casa di Masaniello. From there he opened his eyes to the perspective he had been seeking.
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The Stairs: an invitation to ascend into the vision
The stairs of Atrani are the first sign of this experience. In Escher, this movement becomes mental language.
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Metamorphosis: Atrani becomes a chessboard
In Metamorphosis II, Atrani transforms into an immense chessboard. Escher sets out precisely from here.
M.C. Escher, Metamorphosis II (detail), 1939-1940 — Woodcut
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“To stay here is to inhabit a perspective that has enchanted the world.”