Corner of Needlepoint Cushion c. 1936

Here we see "Corner of Needlepoint Cushion" made by Natalie Simon, a maker of things who lived between 1855 and 1995. The whole piece is made of small squares of thread, like a low-res pixel painting, each one placed with intention. It’s a corner of a cushion, but it’s also a world. Check out how the texture is all built from these tiny stitches. The colors feel rich, almost jewel-like. There's this sort of muted blue shape towards the bottom, surrounded by these swirling, baroque forms in grey and white. The artist really revels in the physicality of the medium, making this surface that’s both flat and deeply textural. There’s a kind of tension between the ornate details and the geometric structure of the needlepoint. It makes me think of Anni Albers, another textile artist who combined craft with a modernist sensibility. Both artists invite us to consider how art can be found in unexpected places, transforming the mundane into something extraordinary. Art isn't about fixed meanings, it's more of a conversation.