Cupid and Psyche 1907

Edvard Munch made this haunting painting of Cupid and Psyche using oil on canvas. I can imagine Munch, driven by his anxieties, swiping and smearing the paint. He might have started with more clarity, but then obscured the figures in these thick strokes of orange, brown, and black. Look at how the paint seems to drip down the canvas, blurring their features. It’s like their forms are melting, caught in a moment of intense emotion. I wonder, was he thinking about the myth of Cupid and Psyche, their love and eventual separation? Or was he painting a more personal experience of connection and loss? The rough texture and dark palette give the painting a raw, uneasy feeling, like something hidden or unresolved. Munch’s work reminds us that painting isn’t just about seeing, it’s about feeling and letting those feelings guide the brush. We’re all in conversation with each other, trying to make sense of this crazy thing called life.