Cast Iron Frog c. 1938

This is Ralph Morton's ‘Cast Iron Frog’ from an unknown year, made using graphite and watercolor on paper. I can just imagine Ralph finding the cast iron frog and deciding to render it. He's taken his time, carefully building the tones and forms of the object. I love how the frog is isolated in the center, sitting there stoically. He's captured this stillness and weightiness so well with watercolor. It's as if he's saying: look at this beautiful, unassuming thing. I also love the little sketch of the frog he's included - it's like a playful wink from the artist. Morton is inviting us to see the beauty in the everyday, the extraordinary in the ordinary. He knows that artists are always in conversation with each other, borrowing and riffing on ideas across time. This frog feels fresh, made with so much love.