At first glance at Dali's Swans reflecting elephants, it just appears to be swans swimming on a peaceful lake. At a closer look one should see elephants in the reflection of the swans. The trees are eerie and nightmarish. The blue sky is reflected in the water, which gives it color. All of these aspects raise the question where does the land end and where does the sky begin? Vivid details and curiosities cover every inch of this painting. A man in the moon watches over the lake, a man painted in vivid detail stands on a landscape blurred by impressionism. The message in the painting seems to be to always take a second look, things may not always be what they seem. .
In M.C Esher's drawing, Ascending/ Descending, a rectangular inner courtyard is bounded by a building that is roofed in by a never-ending stairway. The inhabitants of this building would appear to be monks, adherents of some unknown sect. Perhaps it is their ritual duty to climb those stairs for a few hours each day. It would seem that when they get tired they are allowed to turn about and go downstairs instead of up. Yet both directions, though not without meaning, are totally useless. Two recalcitrant individuals refuse, for the time being, to take any part in this exercise. They have no use for it at all, but no doubt sooner or later they will be brought to see the error of their nonconformity. It would appear that Escher is making a comment about the drudgery and conformity of these monks. Is he poking fun at religion?.
While both works of art present many intriguing details, one definitely stands above the other. Dali's surrealist painting is far superior to M.C. Escher's drawing. The use of detail in the painting outstrips Escher's drawing. Dali's painting also supports its message better, causing the observer to take a second look at everything he encounters in the painting. Is that really just a cloud? Also, the quality and the difficulty of Dali's painting proves his skill better than that of Escher.
