Maurits Cornelis (M.C.) Escher was born June 17, 1898 in the Dutch province of Friesland and had two brothers. His father was an engineer. His only high marks in school were in drawing class although he took an interest in the piano, carpentry and literature including his own. He never graduated from high school but did attend private classes at at the Higher Technology School in Delft. This eventually came to an end as a result of a deferment from the military. He was allowed to attend the School for Architecture and Decorative Arts (at his fathers advice) in Haarlem based on his artistic skills. Here he developed his woodcarving and graphic skills. M.C. Escher married Jetta Umiker in 1924. They had a son Arthur, born in 1930. Eschers mathematical mind and intrigue for structure was apparent in his work. Using mezzotint (fading), transformations and infinite patterns that increase or decrease in repetition and size in his lithographs and woodcuts his work became so popular that he held many exhibit. By 1929, five in Holland and Switzerland that year. He also worked on several commission projects, including tapestries and ceilings. His wife moved to Switzerland in 1968 while Escher stayed in Baarn. Although in ill health he continued his work. He died on March 27, 1972, at the age of 73.
I read somewhere that physics experts took a keen interest in Escher, not something that happens to every artist. I think it is obvious why it did in his case. He has an innate knowledge of the real world around him, so much that he can rebuild it against all common known laws and have it seem some how rational upon viewing. People have been known to rebuild his structures in actual physical 3d form; they are amazing to see, how with one perfect position the eye can be fooled, but move the object just slightly, and you can see that it is wrong. His images are beyond art, they are science and art.