Les songes drolatiques de Pantagruel
In 2020, the museum acquired the sixteenth-century print book Les songesdrolatiques de Pantagruel, featuring 120 images of monstrous creatures in the styleof Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel
The book offers a catwalk of monstrosities: strange, hybrid creations, combinations of humans and animals, insects, plants and objects. Many stand on two legs (or paws), but have the head of a bird or fish. Some are armoured or dressed in other military clothing and carry swords, guns or other weapons. Yet they do not appear particularly threatening, because their martial attire and fierce looks make the deformed creatures seem even more ridiculous, especially when their clumsiness causes them to hurt or injure themselves. The publisher of the picture book, Richard Breton, marketed the book as the last work of François Rabelais – author of the famous Gargantua and Pantagruel – presumably to boost sales figures. Although there are similarities, the attribution to Rabelais is implausible. Much more likely, but by no means certain, is the attribution to François Desprez.
Purchased with the support of the Rembrandt Society (thanks in part to its Medieval and Renaissance Theme Fund) and the Lucas van Leyden Foundation.