M. C. Escher's Hand With Reflective Sphere

Through the despair brought upon parts of the world by the second world war arose the concept of existential philosophy. The existential philosopher Jean-Paul Satre argued that individuals must define the conditions of their own existence and choose to act ethically even in a world without God (Sayre, 2010). The concept of existentialism puts every man in control of his life, with the opportunity to control a portion of his existence more than any other individual. The act of self-reflection and interpretation translated into very retrospective art. M.C. Escher's "Hand With Reflective Sphere" expresses the very essence of what existentialism is, a reflection upon one's life while trying to decide what it means to exist.

"Existence Precedes Essence" became the existential slogan give by Jean-Paul Satre and it's purpose was to introduce the idea that there is no general definition of what it means to be human, but that to be human is determined through existence itself. The fundamental concept of existentialism is in

Escher, born Mauritis Cornelis Escher in 1998, is known as one of the world's most famous graphic artists.Other than being a graphic artist, Escher illustrated books, designed tapestries, postage stamps and murals. In his lifetime, Escher made 448 lithographs, woodcuts and wood engravings and over 2,000 drawings and sketches (M.C. Escher foundation, 2013). Though Escher's work is not classified within the existential movement, he explored impossible spaces and perspective in his work through his vehement observation of the world around him and the manner in which he expressed his reality (M.C. Escher foundation, 2013). In the words of M.C. Escher himself, "to have peace with this peculiar life, to accept what we do not understand, to wait calmly for what awaits us, you have to be wiser than I am" (M.C. Escher foundation, 2013). It is for these reasons I found a correlation between "Hand With Reflecting Sphere" and the existential