Gargantua: Chapter XXV c. 1942

This woodcut print, “Gargantua: Chapter XXV”, was created by Bernard Reder in 1942. The image depicts figures from a famous 16th-century novel by Francois Rabelais, “Gargantua and Pantagruel”. Reder’s style is characterized by stark black and white lines, bold forms, and a sense of dramatic tension. The simplified forms and expressive lines create a sense of movement and energy, typical of Expressionism. The figures, grouped together in a dramatic composition, contribute to the story’s themes of human nature and the search for meaning. Reder uses the power of visual storytelling to capture the essence of the novel's satirical humor and biting social commentary.