Gargantua: Chapter VIII - Son collier 1942

Bernard Reder made this intriguing woodcut, "Gargantua: Chapter VIII - Son collier," using what looks like a blade to carve away at the block. The high contrast of black ink on paper gives it a bold, graphic quality. I love imagining Reder at work, carefully planning each cut, feeling the resistance of the wood, and thinking about that Rabelais story. The act of carving itself becomes a meditation, a way of delving into the narrative's layers. Look at the subject's intense gaze and the way he points, as if inviting us to share in a secret. The "necklace" of figures is fascinating. Are they trapped, or are they reveling in a weird, joyful embrace? The texture he creates through the dense network of lines is incredible, so tactile and alive. It reminds me a bit of the German Expressionists, like Käthe Kollwitz, who used woodcuts to convey raw emotion. Each mark seems deliberate, yet there’s also a sense of spontaneity, like Reder is letting the material guide him. It's a reminder that art is a conversation between the artist, the medium, and the story they're trying to tell.