Woman with Two Dogs 1915

Curator: Here we have Gerda Wegener’s “Woman with Two Dogs,” a watercolor from 1915. Look at the Art Nouveau styling of the dress. What strikes you first about this composition? Editor: I’d say, pure whimsy! It feels like a delightful dream. That small dog peeking out, almost like a mischievous little gremlin nestled in her fur stole—it just cracks me up. Curator: Observe Wegener's deft manipulation of line and wash to create texture and depth. Note, particularly, how she layers translucent washes to build form, defining shapes like the billowing skirt of her dress. The artist used watercolors on paper, giving the artwork that gentle and surreal impression. Editor: It’s true; the way the colours blend gives the impression of a fairytale world. Even that fluffy Collie looks almost like it's made of spun gold and caramel, rather than dog hair. I am sure the intent was to make us laugh with surprise. What a delightful contrast! Curator: Yes, precisely. I’d call your attention, too, to Wegener’s confident use of negative space to offset her compositional density. The area around her head allows for the viewer’s eyes to linger to better examine her hat. Editor: I must confess, though, that while technically dazzling, it tickles me most that two canines seem so completely unfazed by it all. I imagine Wegener herself laughing, picturing these dogs in contrast with our often stilted ideas about "high art.” It does appear like she wants to provoke in us all those contrasting feeling when looking at her watercolor. Curator: It is a beautiful thing. The attention that Gerda Wegener dedicates to depicting luxury and domesticity reminds us to ponder society at large during the dawn of modernism. She shows us beauty through detail and attention to style in unexpected ways. Editor: I agree completely. It’s those layers of whimsy mixed with such polished technique that leave me smiling. And truly isn't the delight in itself the key? The piece does what good art should.