Reptiles《爬行动物》

爱艺

Reptiles is a lithograph print （33.4 cm × 38.5 cm） by the Dutch artist M. C. Escher first printed in March 1943.

It depicts a desk upon which is a 2D drawing of a tessellated pattern of reptiles and hexagons. The reptiles at one edge of the drawing emerge into three dimensional reality， come to life and appear to crawl over a series of symbolic objects （a book on nature， a geometers triangle， a three dimensional/pentagonal dodecahedron， a pewter bowl containing a box of matches and a box of cigarettes） to eventually re-enter the drawing at its opposite edge. Other objects on the desk that may also be symbolic are a potted cactus and yucca， a ceramic flask with a cork stopper next to a small glass of liquid， a book of JOB cigarette rolling papers， and an open handwritten note book of many pages. Although only the size of small lizards， the reptiles have protruding crocodile-like fangs， and the one atop the dodecahedron has a dragon-like puff of smoke billowing from its nostrils.

Like many of Escher’s works， the meaning of the imagery is enigmatic. There are， however， a number of scholarly interpretations of the work. One is that the lizard represents man， emerging from pure concept in two dimensions， becoming a three dimensional being， groping through life acquiring knowledge and wisdom， arriving at deep understanding of science and sacred geometric principals and the alchemical/spiritual nature of reality and existence， and finally descending to reunion with the realm of pure concept. In this theory the objects around the edge of the drawing are signals of the stages of emergence （cactus， biological life）， the beginning of the fire-quest for knowledge （rolling papers）， contemplation and distillation （a jug and partially consumed glass of spirits）， deep study， understanding and wisdom （the open well-used notebook）， and re-integration （matches and cigarettes symbolizing controlled/civilized fire that nonetheless consumes and returns the physical to the abstract）.

《爬行動物》是荷兰画家M. C.埃舍尔创作的一幅平版印刷画（33.4厘米×38.5厘米），首印于1943年。

该画描绘了一张桌子，桌上有一张二维草图，图上画的是爬行动物和六边形组成的镶嵌图案。草图某条边缘上的爬行动物一一现身三维现实，它们不仅活了过来，似乎还在爬过一系列象征性物体（一本关于自然的书、一块几何三角板、一个三维五角十二面体、一只锡碗——碗里有一盒火柴和一包香烟），最终通过初始边缘的对边重新进入草图。桌上的其他物品或许也具有象征意义：一盆仙人掌和丝兰;一个带软木塞的陶瓷水瓶，旁边的小玻璃杯里盛着少许液体;一小本“乔布”卷烟纸;还有一本打开的手写笔记本，本子的页数非常多。尽管那些爬行动物只有小蜥蜴大小，却有着鳄鱼般的突出尖牙，趴在十二面体顶端的那只还像龙似的从鼻孔中喷出烟雾。

像埃舍尔的许多作品一样，这幅画的意义也神秘难解。不过，有不少学者对这部作品做出了解读。一种解读是：蜥蜴类的爬行动物代表人，出现时是二维的纯概念，逐渐变成三维的存在，在生活中摸索前行，获得知识和智慧，深刻理解科学和神圣的几何原理以及现实与存在的精神本质，最终统一回落至纯概念领域。这种说法认为，草图周边的那些物体是进化不同阶段的信号（仙人掌，生命），最开始是寻求火种般地对知识的探求（卷烟纸），接着是思考和提炼（一个酒罐和杯中残留的烈酒），然后获得深层学习、理解与智慧（善加利用的打开的笔记本），最后进行重新整合（火柴和香烟象征可控之火/文明之火，无论怎样，这火会耗尽具象实物并使其回归抽象概念）。