Pantagruel: Livre V, Chapter II 1942

Bernard Reder made this illustration for Pantagruel: Livre V, Chapter II, probably with a wood or linoleum block and ink. The whole thing is rendered with such graphic energy, the figures are almost exploding out of the frame. Looking closely, you can see all the tiny cuts and gouges that make up the image. The way Reder uses the contrast between black and white creates a real sense of depth and texture. Notice the rough, almost frantic marks used to depict the fur on the animals, and how this contrasts with the smoother, flatter areas of the background. It’s like he’s carving out the image from the darkness, bit by bit. I like the ambiguity of the piece, it’s not clear what is going on. This piece reminds me a bit of the German Expressionists, like Emil Nolde or Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, who were also interested in using bold, graphic lines and distorted forms to convey powerful emotions. But Reder brings his own unique sensibility to the table, a kind of raw, untamed energy that’s all his own.