Cast Iron Frog c. 1938

Ralph Morton made this drawing of a Cast Iron Frog with graphite and watercolor. Look at the build-up of dark tones, the way Morton coaxes depth from a limited palette. You can see the hand of the artist in the slightly varied textures and surfaces. The frog itself is rendered with a careful eye, but it’s the details that really make it sing. Notice the way the light hits the frog’s back, creating subtle highlights that define its form. The texture, though smooth, feels alive, almost like you could reach out and touch the cool iron. It's this attention to detail that brings the frog to life. Morton's approach reminds me of other artists, like Joseph Cornell, who found beauty in everyday objects. Both invite us to see the world with fresh eyes, embracing the quirky and unexpected. Art, after all, is about finding new ways of seeing, and Morton’s frog does just that, inviting us to hop into a different perspective.