Pantagruel: Livre II, Chapter XXV 1942

Bernard Reder's ‘Pantagruel: Livre II, Chapter XXV’ looks like it was made with a printmaking technique – probably etching or woodcut. I can imagine the artist using dark inks on paper. This monochrome scene makes me think about storytelling and the power of imagery to convey narrative. The artwork evokes a sense of mythical voyage, with its peculiar ship sailing through turbulent seas and otherworldly figures emerging from the depths. Just look at those surreal creatures on the right; those dogs look like they are either sinking, or are they flying? Reder was likely inspired by literary sources, particularly Rabelais’s ‘Pantagruel,’ to which the title alludes. The artist might have been diving deep into the world of Renaissance literature, translating its complex and often absurd narratives into visual form. Reder’s wider artistic practice combines sculptural forms, printmaking and drawing, and has a flair for the fantastical. Artists are always riffing off one another, across time. And this image resonates with dreams and imagination. It reminds me that art is an invitation to explore alternative realities.