Pantagruel: Livre V, Chapter XXXVI - "Les Fresques" c. 1942

Bernard Reder made this intaglio print, "Pantagruel: Livre V, Chapter XXXVI - "Les Fresques," with line work that really gives it its drama. Imagine him with his tools, digging into the plate, finding his way through these intricate, interlocking figures! The whole thing has a sculptural feel, almost like a bas-relief you might see on a building. The way the figures are packed together reminds me of some of Picasso's prints. You can see Reder is playing with the push and pull between the figures and the space, almost like a stage set. There's a real sense of movement and energy here. And, you know, that’s what being an artist is all about – responding to the work that's come before, and then trying to push it into new directions. Art's a conversation, a way of seeing and thinking that never really ends.