From wings to fins

The Hague is by peppered with palaces. One of these stands on Lange Voorhout and is entirely dedicated to the work of M.C. Escher (1898–1972).

Indeed, this is the Dutch graphic artist who depicted water flowing uphill and birds morphing into fish.

“Before hosting M.C. Escher’s oeuvre, the palace served four queens as a working palace.”

Before hosting Maurits Cornelis Escher’s oeuvre, the 18th century palace served as Queen Emma’s working palace. She lived their until her death in 1934, after which her successors, Wilhelmina, Juliana and Beatrix, used it for the same purpose.

Since 2002, we can admire Escher’s work there. His manipulation of perspective, space and reality made him world famous. One of his best known works is Day and Night, a woodcut that has been printed no fewer than 650 times.

Hey, did you know?

One of the highlights of the Escher’s collection is the 7 metre long Metamorphosis III. This work of art, which can also be admired in the museum, shows colours and motifs flowing into each other: birds morphing into fish and a city into a chessboard.