Just One Thing with Madeline von Foerster
Madeline von Foerster’s art “Frog Cabinet” is a powerful portrayal of nature’s fragile beauty. Here she shares just one thing about the piece:
“No one would notice by looking at my painting, Frog Cabinet, but I put many days, if not weeks, into researching frogs before finally choosing the species that made it into the composition. I wanted frogs with a wide spectrum of shape, color, pattern, size, geographical distribution, and conservation status. It was important to show a few of the species driven to extinction through human activity (shown on the leaves in the pitcher in the middle section). There were also some which I just couldn’t resist because they were beautiful or special. The selection process was not easy, and I was second-guessing my choices during the entire completion of the project. To this day I will occasionally come across a really cool frog and regret that it’s not in the painting.”
Species Key for “Frog Cabinet”
1. Green Toad (Bufo viridis). Widespread throughout Continental Europe and Middle East.
2. Siberut Island Frog (Rana siberu). Indonesia. Threatened by habitat loss
3. Tomato Frog (Dyscophus antongilii). Madagascar. Near Threatened
4. Dyeing Poison Arrow Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius [formerly Dendrobates azureus]). Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname. The members of the Dendrobatidae family are known for their beauty and toxicity – the alkaloids on their skin are used by native peoples to poison dart tips for hunting, and are now being studied for possible medicinal purposes.
5. Panamanian Golden Frog (Atelopus zeteki). Panama. Critically Endangered; Extinct in the wild since 2007.
6. Reinwardt’s Flying Frog (Rhacophorus reinwardtii). Indonesia, Malaysia. Near Threatened. This frog can glide through the air by means of the webbing between its toes.
7. Eyelash Leaf Frog (Ceratobatrachus guentheri) Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands. This frog is an amazing example of camouflage coloring and shape.
8. Golden Toad (Bufo periglenes). Costa Rica. IUCN Status: Extinct; last sighting 1989
9. Northern Gastric Brooding Frog (Rheobatrachus vitellinus). Australia. Extinct since the mid 1980’s. This unique genus contained the only two known frog species – both now extinct - whose tadpoles were incubated in the stomach of the mother.
10. The Southern Corroboree Frog (Pseudophryne corroboree). Australia. Critically Endangered. Corroboree frogs are the first vertebrates discovered that are able to produce their own poisonous alkaloids, as opposed to obtaining them via diet as many other frogs do.
11. Nyctibatrachus minimus. India. This tiny frog was only discovered in 2007, in Kerala’s Western Ghats. It is the smallest known Indian land vertebrate.
12. Ornate Horned Frog (Ceratophrus ornata). Argentina, Brazil. Near Threatened
13. Goliath Frog (Conraua goliath). Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea. Endangered The largest known anuran, this frog can be as large as 13 inches from nose to vent.
The closed drawers in the painting represent all the frog species not yet discovered, and those who might die out before becoming known to us.