King Log 1912

Arthur Rackham made this drawing of frogs, called 'King Log', with ink, in 1912. There's such an incredible energy here. I love how the pen never seems to stop moving, always scribbling and swirling, turning the image into a living, breathing pond. Look at the way Rackham draws the water. It's not just flat; it has depth and movement, reflecting the reeds and the sky. The textures are amazing - the smooth skin of the frogs against the rough bark of the log. And those reeds in the background? Each one is a little universe of lines. It's like he's not just drawing what he sees, but what he feels, what he imagines. For me, this piece really chimes with the work of Aubrey Beardsley, who was working in a similar time. But while Beardsley's work is decadent, I think that Rackham's drawings have a playful charm all of their own. They remind me that art is not about perfection but about seeing and feeling the world in new ways.