M. C. Escher is another artist that I think has profound influence on how we collectively think about and depict fanciful places for exploration in RPGs, even if his art isn’t at the forefront of our brains. Traps and magic and other planes of existence too!

Escher was Dutch and created a large body of woodcuts and lithographs during his lifetime, though it wasn’t until the end of his life that he achieved a measure of fame, thanks initially to coverage in Scientific American. Much of Eschers art was inspired by, and serves as visual metaphor, for mathematical problems and concepts — tessellation, symmetry, reflection, impossible objects. His depictions of the latter are probably his most famous and often depict the clearest examples of dungeon-like spaces where strange laws of physics rule — something that was clearly on Jim Henson’s mind during the staging of the final scenes of Labyrinth. Escher’s tessellations, especially the ones that transform, like “Metamorphosis,” are probably the closest to a visual representation of magic yet achieved by an artist. Strange creatures creep into some frames, other illustrations present warped versions of reality. But even some of his gorgeous land- and cityscapes seem like fodder for the game master’s mind, with the bold linework of the woodcuts seeming to resonate with Dave Trampier’s work.

Maybe it’s the Trampier thing that puts me in this mind, but it feels like Escher’s mathematical art is somehow a cousin of RPGs, especially early ones that were interested in simulation through math and randomness. The graph paper maps. Or even later, when isometric maps became fashionable.

This book, M. C. Escher: His Life and Complete Graphic Work is, well, pretty great, but unfortunately out of print (I think?). However, it saw many printings from 1982 through the ’90s, at least, so there are plenty of inexpensive copies available second hand. Well worth picking up!