Pin Cushion c. 1939

Ferdinand Badin made this watercolor of a bird on paper, its title is Pin Cushion. It's kind of magical, right? Badin's process seems very meticulous, almost like he's building this bird up, layer by layer. There's a sense of careful observation, but then also a kind of dreamy unreality. Look at the way he’s rendered the feathers with such precision, particularly around the tail, but the bird itself feels so poised, so still, it seems almost unnatural. It's perched on this rectangle, not quite a cushion, but something in between. It’s like a stage, a moment suspended in time. I’m reminded of Audubon, but with a twist. Where Audubon feels so grand and scientific, this feels more intimate, like a private encounter. Like maybe Joseph Cornell had something to do with this bird. The colors, the blue against the beige, it's a muted palette, but so elegant, very dreamlike. It’s as though Badin is reminding us that art is an ongoing conversation across time, not a definitive statement.