Reunion of Cupid and Psyche (Wiederkehr von Amor und Psyche) 1952

Conrad Westpfahl rendered 'Reunion of Cupid and Psyche' with bold lines and a muted palette, embodying a raw, process-driven approach to artmaking. The figures emerge from a haze of layered blues and grays, almost as if they're being conjured into existence. Looking closely, you can see how the paint is applied in thin, transparent washes, allowing the surface beneath to peek through, creating a sense of depth and luminosity. The lines are sharp and angular, lending a graphic quality to the composition. See how the folds of drapery are rendered with a few decisive strokes, suggesting form without fully defining it? There's a tension between abstraction and representation here, a kind of push and pull that keeps the eye moving across the surface. Westpfahl's reductive style reminds me a little of Marsden Hartley, or even Emil Nolde, artists who weren't afraid to embrace simplicity and directness in their work. And like their art, this piece invites us to contemplate the enduring power of love and connection, even in the face of uncertainty and ambiguity.