The Frogs 1948

André Masson made this print, called "The Frogs," using lithography, which is a printmaking process based on the simple chemical fact that oil and water don’t mix. Looking at this, I am struck by the use of lithography to create something that feels so immediate and raw. It's all about the energy of the line, isn't it? Masson’s mark-making feels frantic and intuitive. You can see it in the scratchy lines and the way the colors overlap. He’s almost wrestling with the image. The ochre and black marks define the space, and the eye is drawn to the speckled texture of the frog-like forms. The composition is dynamic, and conveys a sense of chaotic energy. You can see how it relates to the automatist ideas of the Surrealist movement, which Masson was a key part of. It reminds me a little of Arshile Gorky, another surrealist painter who was interested in abstract forms. Ultimately the piece invites us to embrace ambiguity and find our own meaning within its fluid shapes.