Gargantua: Chapter XVII 1942

"Gargantua: Chapter XVII" is a woodcut print created in 1942 by Bernard Reder. The print depicts a scene of chaos and pandemonium, with figures struggling and flailing in a turbulent, watery environment. The figures are rendered in a simplified, expressive style, with bold lines and strong contrasts. The work alludes to a chapter in Francois Rabelais’s *Gargantua and Pantagruel*, a satirical novel of the 16th century. Reder, a German-American artist, produced this piece during World War II, and it is likely that his artwork draws upon the anxieties and uncertainties of that time. The print is a powerful example of the expressive potential of the woodcut medium, and Reder’s use of this technique evokes a sense of immediacy and urgency.