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Robbi Rodemann
Dr. Edmonds
ETLA
2/23/17
The Eye of Escher

M.C. Eschers Eye, 1946 showcases just that a mezzotint of an eye (Escher &

Taschen, 2001). The eye depicted in essence is a globe reflection that uses convex imagery and

the appearance of reflecting light to create a life-like image. A striking image surfaces in the

pupil of the eye as a skull that gives more meaning and unique appeal to the eye illustration.

Eschers Eye is an artistic piece that reflects the shared foundations of humankind by depicting

the fears and superstitions revolving the immortal balance and battle of life and death.

The piece depicts a magnified look at an eyeball in grayscale. The eye has a rounded

shape that is wide vertically near the middle and stretches proportionally horizontally. Thus, the

eye most likely appears to belong to someone of European descent rather than a more ethnic

person. A thin, dark jagged line juts from the right side of the iris in the white of the eye to

illustrate a blood vein reaching into visibility. There are several signs of age portrayed from the

eye. To begin, the eyelashes, while thickly layered throughout, are speckled with an alternating

array of black and silver-gray lashes. Deep creases along the top rim and lighter wrinkles trace

the bottom of the eye socket indicate a person who has aged. A small black dot is located on the

medial-left side of the top eyelid which expresses a freckle or mole. This minuscule detail may

be the identifier to point to the persons eye whom this illustration is truly inspired from. Thick

black eyebrows appear above the eye. While the entire eyebrow is not present, it does not appear

to be trimmed, plucked, or shaped in any form. There are straggling hairs on both ends as well as

a fringe of hairs hovering close to the horizon between the top crease of the eye socket and the
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bottom of the brow bone. Such illustration implies that the eye may belong to an older man,

perhaps even the artist Escher himself.

From an initial glance at the piece, the foremost striking impression is the realism in the

image. The eyeball presents itself as a convex object protruding from a mildly sunken eye socket.

Several slight areas on the eyeball give the impression of glare from light reflecting off the moist

mucus membrane of the eye including smaller lighter patches following the left side of the

bottom eyelid and in the inner right side corner of the tear duct. To the left of the pupil on the iris

reflects one of the largest glares an indistinct landscape divided between white and gray

shades with the shadow reflection of the above eyelashes. The glare appears reminiscent of a

rectangle yet with curved and disproportionate sides which is further indicative of a convex

eyeball. Near the bottom of the iris is yet another rectangular-esque patch of lighter coloring to

show the presence of light. The left side of the picture is hued lighter than the right side as the

shading gradually shifts from light gray to near black once reaching the far side. Long, thin,

downward-pointing dark gray streaks that are cater-corner to the right of the bottom lashes

denote shadows which are created from the eyelashes. Based on the overall direction of the

shading, glares, and shadows on the eye, a light source is evident to come from a non-distinct

location to the left of the persons eye.

A more imposing, morbid image becomes clear when looking at the eyes pupil. Another

reflection of sorts appears from the depth of the eye, however, this reflection does not seem to be

angled to line up with the other reflections; that is, while the other reflections are angled to

appear as a result of a light source from the left of the eye, the reflection in the pupil materializes

from the deepness of the eye itself. An illustration of a sole skull manifests from the peak of the
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pupil and overlaps from the base of the pupil to the beginning of the iris. The skull reflection has

no other imagery or reflective landscape surrounding it, which further confirms the concept that

the skull is no normal mirror image. The skull bone structure features an oblong head shape with

a wider frontal bone that clearly resembles a human skull. A triangular-like shaped nasal cavity is

in the middle of the face. Two prodigious rounded eye cavities are symmetrically placed superior

of the nasal cavity. The zygomatic bones on either side of the nasal cavity protrude slightly

which may derive the extant human had distinct cheekbones. The head ends with a triangular-

shaped mandible at the lower half. The two rows of teeth are not entirely clear in visibility. The

bottom row on the mandible shows clearly approximately half of a full set of teeth in detail. The

top row of teeth on the maxilla is shaded darker, therefore, only about four teeth on the left side

appear in full visibility. Presumably, the skull has perfect dental work; however, the darker

shading and indistinct detailing makes the image unclear. The coloring that arises on the skull is

rather peculiar. A conventional skull coloring is thought to be bleached of any variety of

pigments to leave a bare bone. However, the skull depicted is not cleansed of color but rather has

darker shading around the top of the skull. The shaded area reaches from the top of the

zygomatic bones across the frontal bone, thereby covering all the bones in between across the

top. The shading does not extend to the eye cavities but rather ceases before the ridge where

eyebrows would be expected to grow if there were flesh. A slight upward indent in the shading

on the left side above the eye cavity is the only visible blemish in the otherwise uniform shading.

The positioning of the shading combined with the upward indent seem to be reminiscent of a

male-orientated hairline. This masculine hairline continues to contribute to the concept that the

eye belongs to that of a male-figure.

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In comparison to some of Eschers artistic pieces, Eye seems largely non-mathematical.

The meaning behind the design of Eye, however, is more significant than any math. Eschers life

was filled largely with death. Born in 1898, M.C. Escher would live through both of the

gruesome world wars ("Maurits Cornelis Escher," 2006). In 1939 at the start of World War II,

Eschers father died (Feldblum, 2016). In 1940, an invasion by the Nazi party of Holland and

Belgium forced Escher and his family to relocate to Baarn, Holland ("Maurits Cornelis Escher,"

2006). A year after WWII ended in 1945, Escher created Eye. Good Man Bones, as Escher

describes the skull in his art (Feldblum, 2016), clearly alludes to a persons impending death by

fulfilling a grim reaper caricature. The personified-death of the skull being drawn inside the pupil

is considerably ironic. As Escher states in reference to the piece, The pupil reflects the one who

watches us all (Escher & Taschen, 2001). The skull is seen as a mirror image being reflected in

the eye, thereby the person is evidently witnessing imminent death, whether their death or death

around them. This concept is concurrent with the environment Escher lived in between the

massacres of the world wars as well as the personal loss of his father. However, if the skull acts

as Escher described, the persons eye is not actually witnessing death, rather death is watching

the person. The addition of personified-death to the anatomy of a lively eye without doubt refers

to the unavoidability of death as a factor in human life.

The representation of eyes in art is seen to be the mirror of external reality (Fingesten,

1959), a concept Escher embodied by transforming the perspective of reality by using reflection

in the Eye. Throughout periods of time, eyes have been more elaborative during mystical time

periods rather than during secular and empirical eras (Fingesten, 1959). While Escher may have

existed in a more modern, rational time period, his artwork implies he seemed to prefer to live in
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his own magical world, perhaps because the reality of wars was too terrifying for him to exist in

solely. Furthermore, Eschers Eye can be interrupted to convey more significance than plainly

death.

When evaluating Eye, there are two different sets of eyes to be considered per se: the

singular vivid eye and the set of vacant dead eyes. First to consider is the iconographic meaning

behind the main eye. Open eyes in art are known to convey life and knowledge as well as be an

expression of the soul expanding into the universe (Fingesten, 1959). Moisture in open eyes

creates a sensitive appeal to the viewer as the eyes appear more vulnerable so that they appear

not only to receive impression like a glass lens, but also to reflect them like a mirror (Eager,

1961). In essence, the lifelike complex of an artistic eye is meant to invoke feelings of sympathy

in the viewer. On the flip side, the eyes of the skull are notional; only the eye sockets speak of

their existence. Lack of eyes in art conveys blindness, particularly by bringing attention to the

loss of vision. Since eyes are to convey the power of sight, missing eyes are to disfigure or

decline the power of sight (Eager, 1961). Because missing eyes are meant to express a lack of

sight, the empty eye sockets in the skull of Eye runs in contrast to typical iconographic

significance. The eyeless skull, having been described by Escher as having the ability to watch us

all, must have the power to see to some extent. Perhaps the blindness associated with the skull is

a more a lack of awareness or knowledge, that is, a blindness to the truth or reality.

The concept of an omniscient eye is a common element found across cultures. In Greek

mythology, Zeus was known as the all-seeing eye (Fingesten, 1959). As king of the gods, Zeus

possessed many supernatural powers that were able to affect the lives of his subjects. According

to German mysticism, The eye by which I see God is the same as the eye by which God sees
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me (Field & Johannes). Both these cultures use the symbol of the eye to represent the power of

a theological entity. The eye, as exhibited by German mysticism, is not simply a stationary

object. Eyes are demonstrated as a show of power; this power is both able to be enlisted as

authority or simply to scrutinize (Eager, 1961). While there is little mention as to Eschers

spiritual beliefs, the Eye could be interpreted as the soul of the person behind the eye being

looked over by an all-seeing god.

In other cultures, decorative eyes were used as talismans both in contexts of good eyes

and apotropaic eyes in order to act as counter-charms to ward off evil eyes. These amulets used

hypnotic stares from bulging eyeballs and heavy eyelids and eyebrows to distract the power of

evil eyes. These eyes seem to confirm the ancient belief that magic can be overcome only by

stronger magic (Fingesten, 1959). The purpose of good eyes is clear: to ward off evil eyes, bad

spirits or forces meant to cause harm, by being a positive symbol. One of the earliest known

representations of a good eye is the Eye of Horus. The Eye of Horus is based on the Egyptian

myth of the namesake Horus as told from the Book of the Dead. Horus avenged Osiris, his

father, by declaring war on Set, the man who killed him. During the battle to relinquish the

wicked Sets presence, Horus lost his eye which became known as the sound-eye, or good eye.

As Horus eye was eradicated during his efforts for justice for his father, the Eye of Horus also

became known as a holy symbol for sacrifice (Potts, 1982). Thus, the Eye of Horus was

commonly buried with the dead and painted on tombs and coffins; this action was intended to

keep away destructive spirits so the soul of the deceased could rest in peace. Occasionally, the

eye amulet was painted on the left side of a mummys coffin. This action was thought to lend the

dead the power to see out past their coffin (Potts, 1982). Eyes have commonly been associated
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with not only good and evil, but largely the dead as well as clearly exhibited from the Eye of

Horus. The purpose of apotropaic eyes may be initially less clear-cut than that of good eyes. The

term apotropaic is derived from Greek meaning turn away from, as in, to turn away from

evil. Apotropaic eyes are intended to be more immensely terrifying than evil eyes in order to run

away any wickedness that pervades (Potts, 1982). As previously stated, evil eyes in essence

represent harmful entities. The fear of evil eyes extends across several cultures and mythically

often results in death for those unfortunate enough to stumble across seeing one. Mesopotamian

people practiced fear of the evil eye by chanting exorcisms with lines such as The Eye which

hath looked upon thee for harm, The Eye which hath looked upon thee for evil (Fingesten,

1959). In Irish myths, Balor, king of the giants, yielded death to anyone who glanced upon his

singular eye. In Greek myths, Medusa, queen of the gorgons, ceased the life of those who looked

at her face through petrification (Fingesten, 1959). Gorgon coins were distributed throughout

thirty-seven areas throughout Europe from Italy to the Black Sea and found in places such as

Athens, Greece. These coins popularly doubled as both currency and amulets. In addition, many

eyes appeared on the bows of fishing ships around the Mediterranean and were thought to act as

potentially either a good eye or an apotropaic eye (Potts, 1982).

Eschers Eye might be isolated or detached from exhibiting other parts of the body in

order to stake a clear existence as an amulet of sorts. However, the additional set of eyes, the

skull, within the pupil presents the question is the skull meant to act as an amulet as well?

Among good eyes, apotropaic eyes, and evil eyes, all are associated closely with death. Good

eyes are meant to assist in the acceptance and moving on from death. Apotropaic eyes are meant

essentially be more frightening than death in order to scare it away. Evil eyes are linked nearly
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directly with bringing misfortune and death. Due to its aesthetic appeal, the lively eye can clearly

not be an apotropaic eye for it is not exactly a menacing eyeball. The lively eye could be a good

eye meant to ward off the skulls empty stare. By that theory, the missing eyes would have to

represent evil eyes. If a good eye is seen as a sacrifice for the fight of justice and the skull is the

all-seeing deity or nefarious spirit, the image of the Eye could in essence be depicting a

battleground between a protector from death and a warrior for death. Since the eyes are still

technically clearly missing yet the skull is present, this could be a more direct allusion to

bringing about death. Perhaps Escher felt petrified from seeing all the horrors of imminent death

around him, and as a result, sensed his own doom coming too soon. The Eye is an amulet used to

guard the soul of the eye from its own death. As a whole, if the open eye reveals the

knowledgeable soul behind the person, and the good eye is meant to assist in accepting death,

then when the lively eye sees the personification of death, it is a show of acquiring the morbid

reality of life. As the missing eyes are meant to convey blindness, perhaps if even blindness to

knowledge, the concept still runs in contrast to the concept of all-seeing eyes of a greater being.

As amulets are meant to throw off evil eyes by sending waves of overpowering hypnotic control,

the good, or lively, eye has the potential to ward off the fatal power of the skull by perhaps

blinding it from its intended direction of attack. In such a case, Eye is sending a message to the

world: death will not overcome.

The bestowed power of the eye is a common motif across cultures and art. Eschers

utilization of a singular eye combined with a notional set of eyes presented with a skull depicts

an intense visual art that reflects back a deeper symbolism. As an eye is meant to push forth a
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persons soul, Eye clearly shows a portion of Eschers inner self as his chaotic and morbid life

experiences are brought forth.

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References

Eager, G. (1961). The Missing and the Mutilated Eye in Contemporary Art. The Journal of

Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 20(1), 49-59.

Escher, M. C., & Taschen. (2001). M. C. Escher: The Graphic Work. Taschen.

Feldblum, S. (2016, January 17). THE WORLDS OF MC ESCHER Nature, Science, and

Imagination.

FINGESTEN, P. (1959). Sight and Insight: A Contribution Toward An Iconography of the Eye.

Criticism, 1(1), 19-31.

Johannes, E. (n.d.). Meister Eckhart's Sermons (C. Field, Trans.).

Maurits Cornelis Escher. (2006). In World of Mathematics. Gale.

Potts, A. (1982). The World's Eye. University Press of Kentucky.