Pantagruel doodt de monsterlijke walvis 1716 - 1761

Pieter Tanjé created this print, "Pantagruel Slaying the Monstrous Whale," depicting a scene of heroic triumph over a sea monster. The dominant figure, Pantagruel, stands poised with his bow, ready to strike down the monstrous whale threatening his ship. This image reverberates with echoes of earlier myths, like Perseus slaying the sea monster Cetus to save Andromeda, as if conjuring the archetype of the hero battling chaos. The whale itself, a symbol of the unknown depths and primal fear, appears in various guises across cultures, from the biblical Leviathan to monstrous entities in medieval bestiaries. The act of slaying a monster is a motif traversing time. This iconography speaks to our collective unconscious, embodying the eternal struggle between order and chaos, safety and danger. This print, then, is not just an illustration; it’s a powerful resurgence of primordial narratives, engaging viewers on a subconscious level.