Frog 1931

M.C. Escher made this woodcut, Frog, using gouges to carve into the block, creating a stark and dramatic scene. You know, I can almost feel the artist’s hand moving, carefully etching away at the surface, guided by a vision of stillness and reflection. Imagine Escher, wrestling with the wood, each cut a decisive act of creation and destruction. What was he thinking as he rendered those lily pads and reeds? Was he contemplating the quiet, hidden life teeming beneath the water’s surface? The textures he creates are so varied, from the smooth expanse of the water to the rough, almost frantic marks defining the foliage. It reminds me that artists are always in conversation. I see echoes of Northern Renaissance masters in his dedication to detail, yet he pushes it into something uniquely modern. And that frog – perched so attentively, it's like it's listening to the silence. It embodies the stillness and potential of the moment. Artists build on each other's discoveries; Frog is part of this ongoing creative exchange. It's a potent reminder that art is a deeply personal and expressive endeavor.