MAURITS CORNELIS ESCHER  (Dutch, 1898-1972), Bond of Union, 1956, 409, lithograph, (approximate dimensions - plate: 10-1/8 h x 13-1/8 w inches, sheet: 15 h x 17-5/8 w inches), IV-56 and signed in plate lower right; signed and numbered 8/56 III at lower left in pencil. 

Literature Reference: "M.C. Escher, His Life and Complete Graphic Work," by Bool, Kist, Locher, and Wierdia, Abradale Press, Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Publishers, numbered 409, page 312 and 341-342. Notes: Frame has minor wear, approximate dimensions - framed: 19-5/8 h x 21-5/8 w inches. Bio: M.C. Escher was a Dutch graphic artist best known for his mind-bending prints featuring impossible structures, such as Relativity and Ascending and Descending, and his transformation works like Metamorphosis I–III. Early in his career, while living and traveling in Italy, he created realistic landscapes such as Atrani, which later inspired elements in his transformation prints. Initially enrolled at the School for Architecture and Decorative Arts in Haarlem, Escher decided to switch to graphic arts after just one week. His decision was supported by his instructor, Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita, who quickly recognized his artistic potential. While living in Switzerland and during World War II, Escher created 62 of his 137 drawings exploring the regular division of the plane. He expanded this interest by carving beech wood spheres based on these patterns. Through his exploration of architecture, perspective, and illusion, Escher revealed a world where reality and imagination intersect in fascinating and unexpected ways.