Bünishof (Herrliberg) 1925

Leo Leuppi made this painting, Bünishof (Herrliberg), with oil on canvas. I can just imagine Leuppi layering the paint, one stroke after another, until this scene emerged. The sky is an inky blue that is contrasted with a red-roofed house, glowing like a warm hearth. The brushstrokes are loose and free, and the colors bleed into one another, giving the scene a dreamlike quality. I wonder what Leuppi was thinking as he painted those two small figures walking down the path? Were they friends, lovers, or just passersby? I see the way he rendered those trees, each branch reaching towards the sky like a skeletal finger. There’s something about the textures he’s created which make me think of other artists like Paula Modersohn-Becker. The art world is a conversation, a constant call and response across time. It reminds me that painting is really embodied expression, which allows for endless interpretations.