Rendezvous 1918

Gerda Wegener made this scene, Rendezvous, using gouache and watercolor to create a real mood. The cool blues and grays are contrasted with the woman's peachy-pink dress. I love the way she uses a kind of shorthand. Everything feels a little bit loose and suggestive rather than labored or fussy. Look at how the highlights on the dress are rendered with thin, looping lines, they are like the dress is lit up from the inside. The fur stole is painted with short, feathery strokes and this is echoed in the small dog at the bottom of the painting, their fur mirroring each other in tone and texture. That feeling of a quick gesture reminds me a little of Kees van Dongen's portraits, with their bold colors and the way they capture a feeling more than a likeness. It’s a beautiful example of how art can be about suggestion and feeling rather than exact representation.