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With meticulous artistry and subtle humor, Maurits Cornelis Escher created worlds whose absurd, impeccably principled physics and rogue geometries mock our perception of reality. In those worlds, walls, floors, and ceilings may share the same planes; “flat,” interlocking beasts achieve three dimensions, only to subside again into their paper prisons; and every surface has the elasticity of a balloon.

Born into a family of scientists and engineers, ... read more>>>

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Some six to eight thousand years ago, an unknown Persian viticulturist made the startling and pleasant discovery that “spoiled,” fermenting grapes could be turned into quite an intriguing beverage. By 2500 BC, wine had become the drink of choice for Egyptian royals, and by 1500 BC the drink had spread through Europe courtesy of the Greeks. It was the Romans, however, who really turned winemaking into an art, classifying grape varietals and developing advanced... read more>>>

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Painted during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), this delicate, exquisitely detailed handscroll features the motif figuratively known as “one hundred flowers.” To the Chinese, this motif of blooming flowers augurs good tidings. The scroll begins with early spring blossoms--plum, apricot, peach, and others--and follows the seasons throughout the year, ending with winter blooms of narcissus, wax plum, and camellia.

It is traditional in East Asia for coll... read more>>>