Print bearing a signature reading 'M. C. Escher' (not authenticated)

This is a black and white framed print depicting the well-known optical illusion and impossible architecture artwork titled 'Waterfall'. The physical piece consists of a monochrome lithograph or reproduction print set behind a white mat and encased in a simple black frame under protective glazing. The imagery features a complex, paradoxical water-mill structure where water appears to flow uphill along a zigzagging aqueduct before falling back down to drive a waterwheel, set against a background of terraced agricultural fields. In the lower right corner, there is a visible monogram signature and date reading 'X-'61 MCE'. The visible condition of the print appears clean and sharp with good contrast, though it remains unauthenticated as an original print versus a later commercial reproduction. The artistic style is consistent with mid-20th-century optical art and surrealism. The identification in the item name rests on the clearly legible monogram signature visible at the lower right corner of the composition, though the physical medium and exact printing date cannot be definitively verified from the photograph alone.

Based on what I can see in the photograph, this framed print depicts M.C. Escher's well-known 'Waterfall' optical illusion and bears a monogram signature and date reading 'X-'61 MCE' in the lower right corner. The monochrome imagery appears clean and sharp with good contrast, set within a simple black frame and white mat. However, I can't verify from a photo alone whether this is an early pencil-signed lithograph by the artist's own hand or a later commercial offset reproduction. The value estimate range of $3,000 to $5,000 applies strictly to an item of this type *if* the attribution and autograph are correct. If physical inspection reveals this to be a modern commercial reproduction, poster, or decorative copy rather than an autographed print, the market value would drop significantly to the $50 to $150 range. Prints attributed to M.C. Escher generally command strong demand in the secondary art market due to the enduring popularity of his surreal and mathematical architecture. To fully understand the value and establish the nature of the piece, would need physical inspection to confirm the printing technique, paper quality, and ink characteristics. Furthermore, confirming the piece requires comprehensive provenance documentation and expert review by a qualified Escher specialist.