The 3Rd Day Of The Creation

M.C. Escher’s Divine Geometry: A Surreal Vision of Creation

The 3Rd Day Of The Creation stands as one of M.C. Escher’s most enigmatic lithographs, a work where mathematical precision collides with metaphysical wonder. Unlike his more famous infinite staircases or impossible architectures, this composition distills the act of divine creation into a series of interlocking geometric forms—spheres, cubes, and pyramids suspended in a void. The piece belongs to Escher’s lesser-discussed but equally rigorous Creation series, where he abandoned perspective tricks in favor of pure symbolic abstraction. Here, the artist reduces the biblical narrative of Genesis to its essential elements: light, separation, and the emergence of order from chaos.

Escher’s approach in this work reflects his lifelong fascination with tessellation and the boundaries between two and three dimensions. The floating polyhedra, rendered in stark black and white, evoke both celestial bodies and Platonic solids—a nod to the Renaissance belief in geometry as the language of the universe. As The Museum of Modern Art has noted, Escher’s prints often function as visual paradoxes that challenge perception while adhering to internal logical consistency. In The 3Rd Day Of The Creation, that consistency becomes a metaphor for divine design: each shape occupies its precise place, yet the absence of a horizon or ground plane leaves their scale—and by extension, their cosmic significance—deliberately ambiguous.

Escher’s Sacred Geometry: Between Science and Symbolism

The Creation series emerged during a period when Escher was deeply engaged with mathematical theory, corresponding with crystallographers and exploring the work of Roger Penrose. Yet unlike his more playful optical illusions, these prints carry a solemn, almost liturgical weight. The artist’s son, George Escher, later recalled that his father viewed the Creation lithographs as his most personal works—attempts to reconcile his technical rigor with questions of existence. The absence of human figures or recognizable landscapes in The 3Rd Day shifts focus entirely to the act of formation itself, inviting viewers to project their own interpretations onto the floating forms.

Critics have often linked this series to Escher’s interest in the writings of mathematician H.S.M. Coxeter, whose studies of regular polyhedra and non-Euclidean geometry influenced the artist’s later work. The spheres and cubes here aren’t merely abstract shapes but references to the building blocks of matter—a visual echo of the ancient Greek concept of atomos. Escher’s genius lies in rendering these ideas with such clarity that the print feels both intellectually stimulating and visually meditative, a rare balance in 20th-century graphic art.

What makes The 3Rd Day Of The Creation unsettling is its silence. Unlike Escher’s busy architectural prints, this void demands the viewer complete the narrative—are these forms rising or dissolving? The ambiguity is the point.

The Lithographer’s Craft: Precision in Black and White

Composition: The Illusion of Weightlessness

Escher achieves the print’s sense of suspension through meticulous control of negative space. The spheres and polyhedra appear to hover because their shadows—rendered as subtle gradations of gray—are cast in multiple directions, defying any single light source. This technique, which Escher perfected in his Metamorphosis series, creates a disorienting depth that pulls the viewer into the composition. The largest sphere’s position slightly off-center introduces a dynamic tension, preventing the image from feeling static despite its symmetrical elements.

Tonal Contrast: The Language of Light

The lithograph’s power derives from its stark monochrome palette, where every variation in ink density serves a purpose. Escher used up to five stones to achieve the print’s velvety blacks and smooth gradients, a process requiring absolute precision in registration. The matte finish of the original lithograph—faithfully reproduced in this framed print—softens the edges of the geometric forms, enhancing their ethereal quality. Unlike his woodcuts, where texture plays a role, here the absence of visible grain forces the viewer to engage with pure form and contrast.

Where to Hang The 3Rd Day Of The Creation

This print’s high-contrast palette and geometric abstraction make it a striking focal point in modern interiors. The 30×40 cm (12×16") size works particularly well above a console table in an entryway, where its floating forms can greet visitors with quiet intrigue. For a more dramatic effect, position it against a deep navy or charcoal wall—the dark background will accentuate the lithograph’s crisp whites and blacks, making the spheres appear to glow. In a home library or study, the print’s intellectual themes complement collections of scientific or philosophical books, while its clean lines pair effortlessly with mid-century furniture.

Avoid overly busy surroundings; this is a work that demands contemplative space. The frame’s neutral finish (available in black, white, or natural wood) ensures the artwork remains the center of attention. For optimal viewing, hang the print at eye level with ample lighting—either natural daylight or a directed gallery light—to highlight the subtle tonal variations in Escher’s lithography.

More Works by M.C. Escher

Discover Escher’s mastery of perspective and paradox in these equally compelling lithographs and woodcuts.

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Nocturnal Rome: Basilica Of Constantine

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Scilla, Calabria, February

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Twon Tree

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Palm

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