Hand with Reflecting Sphere

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Hand with Reflecting Sphere

M. C. Escher, 1935

Lithograph, 31.8 × 21.3 cm

Hand with Reflecting Sphere also known as Self-Portrait in Spherical Mirror is a lithograph print by the Dutch artist M. C. Escher (Maurits Cornelis Escher) which was first printed in January, 1935. The piece depicts a hand holding a reflective sphere. In the reflection the hand holding the sphere is revealed to be Escher’s.

Self portraits in reflective, spherical surfaces are common in Escher’s work, however this image is the most prominent and famous example. In most other self portraits of this type Escher is in the act of drawing the sphere, however, in this image he is seated in a library or study passively gazing into the sphere. On the walls there are several framed pictures, one of which appears to be of an Indonesian shadow puppet.

[edit] Popular culture

In the movie Labyrinth (which also has a reference to another Escher's work Relativity), Jareth, The Goblin King offers Sarah a crystal (which magically appears in his hand) and says 'If you turn it this way, look into it, it will show you your dreams'. The mirror property of crystals in Labyrinth is most clearly seen during the ballroom scene, when Sarah is trapped in her dreamlike fantasy and runs to the wall, which looks like a huge mirror and shows her a distorted reflection. "The filmmakers acknowledged several influences, including...the works of M. C. Escher" cited at Labyrinth (film)

The original Magic: The Gathering card Icy Manipulator, is an homage to the Hand with Reflecting Sphere.