In the very beginning of M. C. Escher’s career—before his graphics were featured in Scientific American and Life, and on book and album covers—the Dutch artist moved to Italy to find inspiration. While living there, he took a quick trip to Granada and was captivated by the tessellated geometries featured in Moorish architecture. Escher made many of his own tessellated designs, and mathematical precision became a signature of his work. For the largest ever Escher exhibition, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, has culled 200 prints and 100 drawings from the Michael S. Sachs Collection, home to 90 percent of the artist’s estate. —J.D.