Maurits Cornelis Escher, known as M. C. and nicknamed "Mauk," was a Dutch graphic artist especially known for his woodcuts and lithographs. Math and architecture were his guides, and structure and balance are quite evident in his work. He was born in 1888 in the Netherlands, and he received much of his inspiration from the Italian countryside and his home country, where he died in 1972.

Rather than paint a subject or view that he saw with his eyes, he painted what was in his mind, which is clearly evidenced in one of his most famous works, "Drawing Hands." Escher preferred black and white or pale shades, tones, or textures created by using metals and printmaking methods that were innovative at the time. Even with the absence of bright colors, Escher's works are intriguing studies of light and dark.