Artist 101
Gerda Wegener:
The female gaze
Gerda Wegener was one of the most significant female artists in 1920s Denmark and was, in many ways, a woman ahead of her time. We trace her career and key artistic themes, including illustration, Art Deco and portraits of her partner Lili Elbe and other women.
In recent years, Gerda Wegener (née Gottlieb) has undergone a re-evaluation for her artistic talent, her depiction of women and her unconventional marriage.
She became a household name following the release of the international film The Danish Girl in 2015, portraying her marriage to painter and transgender woman, Lili Elbe. Here in Denmark, the Arken Museum of Modern Art placed Wegener firmly on the art historical map with a major solo exhibition in 2015–17.
Our Paintings, Sculptures and Prints auction on 20 September in Copenhagen features 21 rare works by Wegener – some of her finest. Most of these come from the collection of designer Anne Ammitzbøll, several of which were exhibited in the Arken exhibition, with one used as their catalogue cover. Browse the auction
An Unconventional Life
No one could have foreseen that Wegener – the daughter of a priest with a conservative upbringing – would go on to live an unconventional life that broke with prevailing norms and gender roles at the time.
Born in 1886, Wegener moved to Copenhagen at an early age to study painting at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts’ School of Art for Women. Over time, she found her style as an illustrator with decorative and elegant meandering lines. She created satirical drawings for various magazines and set herself apart with her slightly decadent style.
Gerda Wegener: Young lady with a makeup mirror. Estimate: DKK15,000 - DKK20,000
Gerda Wegener: Young lady with a makeup mirror. Estimate: DKK15,000 - DKK20,000
Marriage to Lili Elbe
In 1904, Wegener married fellow student and landscape artist Einar Wegener, who later underwent multiple sex change operations and is today known as Lili Elbe.
The couple left Copenhagen in 1912 and settled in the more free-spirited Paris, where they had the opportunity to develop their artistic careers and live more freely in a then-controversial relationship. Their marriage was annulled in 1930 – one of the reasons was that after Elbe was physically and legally accepted as a woman, she could no longer be married to another woman.
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Gerda Wegener: Portrait of Lili in Red Dress, 1929. Estimate: DKK40,000 – DKK50,000
Gerda Wegener: Portrait of Lili in Red Dress, 1929. Estimate: DKK40,000 – DKK50,000
Beautiful Art Deco
In Paris, Wegener was sought-after for her refined and elegant portraits of women. But her greatest success was as an illustrator for the most fashionable magazines of the time.
With her light, elegant and neat lines that touched on the erotic, tantalising and sensual sides of life, Wegner was – both artistically and in her appearance – a woman of the world who set herself apart from the domestic and tradition-bound norms of the day.
Wegener’s artworks demonstrate her mastery of the Art Deco style – embracing the individual, decorative and exclusive, enriching the senses and adding glamour. On Danish soil, pure Art Deco is something of a rarity. The term describes the new trends and styles that were presented at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1925, mostly for decorative arts and crafts but also architecture, fashion and interiors – indeed, modern life as a whole.
Gerda Wegener: Portrait of a woman in a white dress - possibly the illustrator Maggi Baaring. Estimate: DKK100,000 - DKK125,000
Gerda Wegener: Portrait of a woman in a white dress - possibly the illustrator Maggi Baaring. Estimate: DKK100,000 - DKK125,000
Portraits of women
Wegener’s models were most often women, who she morphed to imitate the ideals of the day from fashion and film. She particularly emphasised feminine beauty and was aware of the power of the gaze – both male and female. Her models captivated viewers with their almond-shaped eyes, pencilled eyebrows and red lips, projecting coyness and confidence.
In addition to actresses and art personalities, Wegener used Elbe as a muse for many portraits of slender, long-limbed female figures – with her partner posing in women’s clothes and wearing wigs.
Art history is full of beautiful female nudes who appear as objects of the male artist’s desire and the viewer’s scrutinising gaze – but in Wegener’s portraits of Elbe, it is more ambiguous: partly because the artist is a woman, and partly because her model is a transgender woman.
Today, with gender, identity, sexuality and roles being re-evaluated like never before, Wegener’s story remains as relevant as it was close to 100 years old.
Gerda Wegener: Young girl at dressing table (possibly portrait of Lili). Estimate: DKK175,000 - DKK200,000
Gerda Wegener: Young girl at dressing table (possibly portrait of Lili). Estimate: DKK175,000 - DKK200,000
Gallery talk
Gerda Wegener – The Power of the Gaze
Join us at our Copenhagen auction room for art expert Kathrine Eriksen’s talk on Wegener’s artworks, her special role in Danish art history, and how the story of her relationship with Lili Elbe touches on many modern-day issues around gender and sexual politics.
Sunday 17 September, 2pm - 2:30pm.
Bruun Rasmussen, Bredgade 33, 1260 København, Denmark
Entry is free.
Register to bid in Paintings, Sculptures and Prints
Browse all lots in our auction on 20 September in Copenhagen, featuring works by Gerda Wegener, Danielle Orchard, Asger Jorn and other artists.
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