“Selinunte, Sicily (October 1935)” by the renowned artist M.C. Escher, is a woodblock print, woodcut artwork created in 1935. This piece is rooted in the Surrealism art movement and falls within the genre of still life. The artwork portrays fragmented and ruined architectural elements, suggestive of the ancient structures of Selinunte in Sicily.
The artwork depicts a collection of large, broken stone columns laying scattered on a rough surface. The intricately detailed stone fragments highlight Escher’s skilled craftsmanship in the woodcut medium. The somber and monochromatic palette, combined with the precise textural contrasts, emphasizes the age and erosion of these architectural remnants, imparting a melancholic essence evocative of decay and the passage of time. The composition of the stones reveals Escher’s fascination with patterns and geometric forms, which is a hallmark of his surrealistic works.
