Metamorphosis II is a woodcut print by the Dutch artist M. C. Escher. It was created between November, 1939 and March, 1940. The print measures and was printed from 20 blocks on 3 combined sheets. Metamorphosis II is a long, horizontal piece which depicts animals and other forms gradually transforming into each other.

Like Metamorphosis I, the concept of the piece is to morph one image into a tessellated pattern and then slowly alter that pattern eventually to become a new image. The process begins with the word metamorphose (the Dutch form of the word metamorphosis) in a black rectangle, followed by several smaller metamorphose rectangles forming a grid pattern. This grid then becomes a black and white checkered pattern, which then becomes tessellations of reptiles, a honeycomb, insects, fish, birds and a pattern of three-dimensional blocks with red tops.

These blocks then become the architecture of the Italian coastal town of Atrani. Atrani is linked by a bridge to a tower in the water, which is simultaneously a rook standing on a chessboard. There are other chess pieces in the water and the water becomes a chessboard. The chessboard leads to a checkered wall, which then returns to the word metamorphose.

Atrani and chess composition

Among other motifs, Metamorphosis II depicts an Italian village known to Escher, as well as a legible chess composition.

Toward its right-hand side, the artwork depicts the coastline of Atrani, a small Italian village which Escher had rendered during his earlier career; Escher revisited the image of Atrani several times over the course of his life. In Metamorphosis II, a structure jutting from Atrani's coastline becomes a white rook on a chessboard. The chessboard is shown in full, with a legal position

The Atrani-chess dyad shown in Metamorphosis II was used again in Metamorphosis III. The latter was a greatly expanded version of the former, which Escher executed near the end of his life. However, the town-and-chess position were identical in both pieces. For Metamorphosis III, Escher expanded the middle of Metamorphosis II to include several other elements, leaving its ends (which included the Atrani-chess dyad) unchanged.

See also

  • Metamorphosis I
  • Metamorphosis III
  • Regular Division of the Plane
  • Tessellation
  • Chess in the arts

References

  • Locher, J. L. (2000). The Magic of M. C. Escher. Harry N. Abrams, Inc. .
  • Metamorphosis II at Digital Commonwealth