Maurits Cornelis Escher, or more commonly M.C. Escher, was born at Leeuwarden in 1898. He studied at the Technical School of Art, Haarlem from 1919 to 1922 where he was inspired by Italian landscapes and towns. It was around this time that M.C. Escher began to experiment with patterns by repeating natural features such as animals, birds and fish. Escher then created further illusion by merging figures and ground, merging two and three-dimensional patterns.

M.C. Escher died in 1972. Over the years his illusions have challenged mathematicians as well as those who appreciate his images for the graphic technique employed and his command of imagery.