Gargantua avec les 3 graces mais - a "chacune" une pomme (a la R.) 1942

Bernard Reder made this woodcut, Gargantua avec les 3 graces mais - a "chacune" une pomme (a la R.), sometime in the first half of the 20th century. The bold cuts and stark contrast between light and dark feel almost violent, like the artist was attacking the wood, wrestling with it to bring forth this scene. I can imagine Reder, bent over his block, meticulously carving away at the surface, guided by some inner vision, and letting the figures emerge. The three graces are chunky, almost awkwardly posed, each clutching an apple, while a strange, almost alien-like figure towers over them. It reminds me of woodcuts by artists like Kirchner and Heckel, who were also exploring raw, expressive ways of depicting the human form. It’s strange and wonderful. The landscape behind them is chaotic. A tangle of lines creates a sense of depth and distance. And the overall impression is one of restless energy, a kind of primal force struggling to find its form. Like all great artworks, this print is a conversation, a way of speaking across time and space.