Portræt af Lili Elbe med grøn fjervifte 1920

Gerda Wegener painted this portrait of Lili Elbe with a green fan in 1920, and right away I'm drawn to the way the brushstrokes are so visible, like little dashes of color all snuggling up together. It's like Wegener is letting us peek behind the curtain, showing us the magic trick of how a painting comes to life, bit by bit. Look at the way the pink of Lili's dress is built up from these tiny strokes. It's not just a flat plane of color, but a shimmering, breathing surface. And that green fan? It's practically vibrating with energy! You can almost feel the softness of the feathers and the coolness of the air they're stirring up. I can’t help but think of Gustav Klimt when I look at this. There’s a similar opulence and a love for decorative detail, but Wegener brings her own unique touch, a kind of tender intimacy. To me this painting is a reminder that art isn't about perfection, it's about process and about embracing the unexpected.