Annual Lecture 2005
November 25, 2005.
11:15, Zeichensaal 3, (7.OG)
Hendrik Lenstra
(Mathematical Institute, University of Leiden)
Escher and the Droste effect
In 1956, the Dutch graphic artist M.C.Escher made an unusual lithograph
with the title Print Gallery. It shows a young man viewing a print in an
exhibition gallery. Amongst the buildings depicted on the print, he sees
paradoxically the very same gallery that he is standing in. A lot is known
about the way in which Escher made his lithograph. It is not nearly as
well known that it contains a hidden Droste effect, or infinite
repetition; but this is brought to light by a mathematical analysis of the
studies used by Escher. On the basis of this discovery, a team of
mathematicians at Leiden produced a series of hallucinating computer
animations. These show, among others, what happens inside the mysterious
spot in the middle of the lithograph that Escher left blank.
Der Vortrag wendet sich sowohl an ein allgemeines mathematisches
Publikum, als auch an Nicht-Mathematiker, die für Escher Interesse
haben. Insbesondere spricht der Vortrag auch Schüler an.
Click here
for an introduction to Escher and the Droste effect, or get a glimpse
of that website below:
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