Gargantua and Pantagruel is a classic work by French author Francois Rabelais. Its central characters are two voracious and offensive giants by the same name who engage in ribald and scatological humour, told through a series of satirical tall tales and adventures.
When it was first published in the 1500s, the work was condemned and censored for its at the time offensive humour. However over time it came to be recognized as a major work of literature, and it has had a lasting impact of culture and language. For example, the word gargantuan, meaning gigantic or enormous, is derived from the title character's name. The giant black hole in the movie Interstellar is named Gargantua.
Gustave Dore applied his artistic talents to illustrating the lives and adventures of these two giants, producing 400 illustrations.
Dore's illustrations of this classic book capture the absurd monstrosity of these gigantic monsters. The drawings are part caricature and part illustrations of key scenes in the book.
