A splendid presentation of the master's work in a handsomely designed, oversize volume (11x13"). The 367 illustrations include drawings and preliminary sketches as well as finished works. The text, which is translated from the Dutch, comes from notebooks, journals, and lectures by M.C. Escher, accompanied by an introduction and some commentary by J.L. Locher, who is director of the Gemeetemuseum, The Hague. The chairman of the M.C. Escher Foundation provides a foreword emphasizing the fresh approach this book takes and the insightfulness of Locher's comments on the work of his friend. Art lovers and, in particular, art students cannot fail to be intrigued by Escher's own words. For example, in a 1955 letter to his son, "God, god. I wish I'd learn to draw a little better! What exertion and determination it takes to try and do it well...." Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR