Even as a boy, Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972) was intrigued by graphic techniques. He studied graphic arts at Haarlem under Jessurun de Mesquita, and in 1922 moved to Italy, where he settled in Rome two years later. During the decade he spent there, the Dutch artist explored the options which different graphic techniques made available, and he chose his subject matter purely on the strength of the technical challenges it would pose. Around the time he left Italy, Escher's subject matter underwent a fundamental change. Up until this time his interest had been exclusively in mastering his craft, but now he gave his prime attention to his subjects. "Ideas came into my mind quite unrelated to graphic arts." The pictures that now resulted reflected his fascination with the enigmatic laws that governed the world around him: Escher's visual representations expressed the mental images that absorbed him. This title contains four of the most interesting books about Escher: "The Magic Mirror of M.C. Escher", "Adventures with Impossible Objects", "Optical Illusions" and "The Graphik Work".