32 × 24 cm (12.6 × 9.4 in)
Wikimedia Commons
Dream is a woodcut produced by the Dutch artist M. C. Escher (1898–1972), created in 1935.[1]
The picture shows a large praying mantis standing on the chest of a bishop who is either asleep or dead, lying on what may be a marble sarcophagus. The two figures are drawn in a vaulted space reminiscent of a church, which contains a second, separate vault and a third building. The ground on which these structures rest suddenly gives way to darkness in the background, suggesting an infinite emptiness.[2]
Combining as it does architectural elements with fantasy, Dream can be characterised as belonging to the genre of capriccio.[3] It was created during the period in Escher’s artistic career when he was gradually shifting his focus from interpretations of Italian landscapes towards something more surreal.[2] He poses the question of whether the bishop is dreaming about the praying mantis, or whether the entire picture is a dream of the artist.[1] Writing in 1964, Escher said that:
