Pantagruel: Livre II, Chapter XXV 1942

Bernard Reder's 1942 woodcut, "Pantagruel: Livre II, Chapter XXV," depicts a fantastical scene with a ship, multiple figures, and a sea monster. This print illustrates an episode from François Rabelais's novel, "Gargantua and Pantagruel," where the giant Pantagruel uses his ship to travel across the world. This artwork captures the humorous, fantastical, and sometimes grotesque elements often present in Rabelais's writings. Reder uses bold lines and dark tones to convey a sense of movement, drama, and the surreal nature of the story. The image's chaotic composition, with its overlapping figures and objects, creates a sense of disorientation, further enhancing the whimsical tone of the scene.