The Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher achieved cult status in the 1960s, featuring on album covers, book jackets and posters. Since then the popularity of his space-distorting geometrical constructions has soared, with exhibitions all over the world attracting hundreds of thousands of people. This lecture will explore the diverse and surprising sources of his inspiration. Be prepared for a journey which takes in Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings, Piranesi’s dark fantasies, the Islamic art of Granada and the discoveries of modern mathematics.

Lecturer Rupert Dickens is an art historian based in south London with a special interest in Dutch and Flemish 16th and 17th century painting. He works at the Wallace Collection as a guide conducting public and private tours and lecturing on aspects of the collection.