Meester Janotus vraagt Gargantua om de klokken 1716 - 1761

Curator: Pieter Tanjé created this print, "Meester Janotus vraagt Gargantua om de klokken," sometime between 1716 and 1761. You can find it here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Oh, my. It has this really cheeky, theatrical mood, doesn't it? Like a stage frozen mid-performance, all exaggerated gestures and disproportionate bodies. Is that supposed to be a giant? Curator: Indeed! It's depicting a scene from Rabelais' *Gargantua*. Janotus, a doctor of the Sorbonne, is pleading with the giant Gargantua to return the bells he stole from Notre Dame—which you can just make out in the background through that archway. Editor: Well, the architectural setting certainly underlines the scene’s monumentality, although the artist uses very fine lines and precise hatching throughout. It’s fascinating to see how Tanjé organizes space using contrasts of light and shadow within this very elaborate Baroque sensibility. And you know, Notre Dame almost feels like a character in itself! Curator: Exactly! And Tanjé definitely revels in those kinds of juxtapositions—the intellectual discourse versus sheer brute strength, sacred bells versus base actions, or Janotus’ ornate Latin oratory clashing with the rather crude act of theft, according to Rabelais. The figures are so self-absorbed, caught in their moment of rhetoric and confusion! It gives off the vibe of frozen chaotic ballet, doesn't it? Editor: It really does. It's so rich with satire and commentary; almost too much going on that you miss all the subtleties! So while Gargantua seems all-powerful sitting above, we need to be reminded of those details… those church bells…and how even giants aren't beyond a little negotiation... or perhaps persuasion by tiny little academics! Curator: I always get a kick out of just how theatrical Tanjé gets to be here; there's an element of spectacle woven into these historical events, as well as the kind of philosophical quandaries being brought up. I leave feeling light hearted. Editor: I have a stronger sense of baroque drama now. Thanks for the close reading!