Bookplate Bastiaan Kist - M.C. Escher

An early 1917 woodcut by M.C. Escher featuring a memento mori skeleton design for a personal bookplate.

This early woodcut by M.C. Escher, created in 1917, functions as an ex-libris or bookplate for Bastiaan Kist. The composition features a central skeleton seated atop a dark, geometric block, which serves as a coffin or plinth. The figure is framed by an arched border, with the name of the owner integrated into the background space through bold, negative-space lettering.

Escher, who was nineteen at the time of this work, demonstrates an early interest in high-contrast imagery and the macabre. The woodcut medium dictates the stark separation between the black ink and the white paper, creating a graphic quality that defines the silhouette of the skeleton. The figure is rendered with a degree of anatomical stylisation, typical of the artist's formative years before he moved toward the mathematical tessellations and impossible structures of his later career.

The memento mori theme, represented by the skeleton, was a common motif in early twentieth-century printmaking. Escher uses the limited space of the bookplate to balance the morbid subject matter with the functional requirement of identifying the book's owner. The lettering curves around the central figure, ensuring the name remains legible despite the dense visual weight of the skeleton. This piece provides a glimpse into the early technical development of an artist who would eventually become known for his mastery of perspective and spatial illusion. The print is a clear example of his early experimentation with woodblock carving, showing a firm grasp of composition and the effective use of stark, monochromatic tones to convey a specific mood.