Gargantua: Chapter XIII 1942

Bernard Reder made this print, Gargantua: Chapter XIII, and there's no date, but it feels like he’s diving into the world of storytelling. The density of marks, all those lines and textures, remind me of the way we layer experiences in our minds, building up stories bit by bit. Look at the way Reder uses the black ink to define the forms, almost obsessively. The cross-hatching creates these deep shadows that give the figures a solid, sculptural presence, like he’s carving them out of the paper. The contrast between light and dark adds a kind of drama. Notice the way he’s rendered the woman riding on the goose. The density of the marks around her creates a sense of her weight, even as she floats through this imaginary world. This work, with its mix of grotesque and whimsical elements, feels like it’s in conversation with artists like Ensor or Grosz, who also weren't afraid to mix the beautiful with the bizarre. Art, after all, is a space where we can explore the full spectrum of human experience, embracing the messy and contradictory along the way.