The largest exhibition dedicated to the Dutch genius, featuring more than 150 original works
A major retrospective entirely dedicated to Maurits Cornelis Escher, one of the most fascinating and visionary artists of the 20th century, is at the heart of the Quartier des spectacles.
M.C. Escher, Relativity, 1953 Lithograph, 277×292 mm, Collection erhm, USA, All M.C. Escher works © 2026 The M.C. Escher Company, The Netherlands. All rights reserved. www.mcescher.com
After attracting millions of visitors worldwide in recent years, and following its recent success in Paris, the exhibition is being presented for the first time in Canada, in Montreal. Located at 312 Sainte-Catherine Street West, this exceptional retrospective – tracing the full artistic journey of M.C. Escher – offers the public a unique opportunity to discover the creative evolution of an artist who revolutionized the relationship between art, mathematics, and visual perception.
Featuring more than 150 original works, along with educational content, videos, and interactive spaces, the exhibition will allow visitors to explore in depth the visual and conceptual mechanisms at the core of his work.
Designed to appeal to a wide audience – from art lovers to mathematics and geometry enthusiasts, from experts to families – the exhibition immerses visitors in a captivating journey where they can better understand the impossible perspectives, optical illusions, and logical structures that define the richness and timelessness of M.C. Escher’s universe.
M.C. Escher, Hand with Reflecting Sphere, 1935 Lithograph, 318×213 mm, Rock J. Walker Collection / Walker Fine Art, USA. All M.C. Escher works © 2026 The M.C. Escher Company, The Netherlands. All rights reserved. www.mcescher.com
Born in 1898 in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, M.C. Escher developed a unique visual language throughout his career, intertwining art, mathematics, geometry, and logic. His works challenge the laws of perspective and perception, transforming reality into a fascinating play of optical illusions, impossible worlds, and paradoxical architectures.
His creations, renowned for their infinite geometries and visual paradoxes, have captivated generations of scholars and enthusiasts, becoming a reference not only for mathematicians and scientists but also for the public. M.C. Escher’s work represents an extraordinary meeting point between scientific rigour and imagination, exerting a lasting influence on contemporary visual language.
By retracing the full artistic development of the Dutch master – from his early experiments to his mature works – and highlighting the techniques and research that shaped his practice, the exhibition guides visitors through the major themes that made the artist famous: tessellations, metamorphoses, spatial structures, impossible constructions, and the iconic visual paradoxes that make his style instantly recognizable.
Among the most emblematic works featured in the exhibition are Hand with Reflecting Sphere (1935), Day and Night (1938), Metamorphosis II (1939–40), Relativity (1953), Belvedere (1958), Circle Limit IV (1960), Waterfall (1961), as well as many other masterpieces that demonstrate M.C. Escher’s extraordinary ability to transform complex mathematical principles into strikingly expressive images.
M.C. Escher’s visionary universe comes to life, inviting visitors to be surprised by a world where logic and imagination merge into artistic forms of exceptional visual power.
Until August 30, 2026
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday from 10:00am to 8:00pm
Friday and Saturday from 10:00am to 9:00pm
312 Sainte-Catherine Street West, Montreal
To purchase your tickets, visit: https://escher-expo.com/montreal