Rendezvous 1918

Gerda Wegener mixed gouache and watercolor to make this fabulous image. The composition feels so dramatic, as the woman's bulk almost overwhelms the picture space. I wonder what Wegener was thinking when she made it? I imagine she might have wanted to embrace the beauty of the body and the pleasures of companionship. The woman is on the edge of leaving, but is she ready? The air is thick with expectation as she waits beneath a huge stone vessel filled with twinkling lights, with her white dog. I'm drawn to the woman's shiny, red shoes and the dog's funny face. The lines in the pink dress have a fluidity which feels very modern. The use of color is very striking too, and the deep, dark blue acts as a great foil. Overall, the image presents a very particular kind of stylized vision. Wegener was obviously in dialogue with her contemporaries, borrowing and experimenting to find her own voice.