At the Mirror 1936

Gerda Wegener’s, At the Mirror, is a watercolour painting with graphite on paper. I love the way the delicate washes of colour and thin lines create a hazy, dreamlike quality, it feels like looking at a memory. See how the pale skin tones contrast with the bold red lipstick and the striking green accents of the dress and jewellery? There’s a real sense of glamour, but also a vulnerability in the subject's gaze. The reflected figure of the man adds a layer of complexity, hinting at a story beyond the surface. Notice how the paint is applied in thin, almost translucent layers, allowing the paper to show through in places? This gives the work a lightness and transparency that really draws you in. Wegener’s work often explored themes of identity and desire, and you can see similar ideas in the work of Tamara de Lempicka, another artist who captured the spirit of the Art Deco era. Art, for me, is about opening up possibilities, not closing them down.