Gerda Wegener

Gerda Wegener

Gerda Gottlieb Wegener Porta (1886 - 1940) was a Danish illustrator and painter.

Originally from the provinces and the daughter of a clergyman, she moved to Copenhagen to pursue her education at the Royal Art Academy, and married fellow artist Einar Wegener (1882-1931) in 1904. After moving to Paris in 1912, she found much success both as a painter and illustrating for Vogue, La Vie Parisienne, Fantasio, and many other magazines. As she found fame in Paris, Gerda also developed a following in her home country. She held exhibitions at Ole Haslunds gallery in Copenhagen at regular intervals. Her career relied on a phenomenal talent but perhaps even more so on her notorious diligence, and the advantages her unusual marriage brought her.

Einar Wegener, who by many at the time was considered a more talented artist, toned down his own work and profile to help his wife in her artistic endeavors. In a female guise, "Lili", he became Gerda's favorite model. Einar Wegener eventually came out as a transsexual woman, and had the first publicly known sex change operation, in 1930, taking the name Lili Elbe. Gerda Wegener supported Elbe throughout her transition. The king of Denmark declared the Wegeners' marriage null and void in October 1930.

In 1931, Gerda Wegener married Major Fernando Porta (born 1896), an Italian officer, aviator, and diplomat, and moved with him to Morocco, specifically Marrakech and Casablanca. She divorced Porta in 1936 and returned to Denmark in 1938. She held her last exhibition in 1939, but by this time she was largely out of fashion.

She died in July 1940.

Books illustrated by Wegener

* "Le Livre des Vikings" by Charles Guyot (1920 ou 1924)
* "Une Aventure d'Amour à Venise" by Giacomo Casanova. Le Livre du Bibliophile. Georges Briffaut. Collection Le Livre du Bibliophile. Paris. 1927.
* "Les Contes" by La Fontaine (1928-1929).
* "Contes de mon Père le Jars" & "Sur Talons rouges" by Eric Allatini (1929)
* "Fortunio" by Théophile Gautier (1934)


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  • Gerda Wegener — (a veces escrito como Greta Wegener), nacida como Gerda Marie Fredrikke Gottlieb (Copenhague, 15 de marzo de 1885 (quizá 1889) Frederiksberg, 28 de julio de 1940) pintora e ilustradora erótica danesa. Tras una vida en provincias, se fue a …   Wikipedia Español

  • Gerda Wegener — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Gerda et Wegener. Gerda Wegener …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Wegener — wird in folgenden Zusammenhängen verwendet: Medizin: Wegener Granulomatose, nekrotisierende Entzündung der Gefäße mit Granulombildung Unternehmen: R M Wegener, älteste Hutfabrik/Mützenfabrik Deutschlands Koninklijke Wegener NV, niederländischer… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Wegener — may refer to: * The disease Wegener s granulomatosis * Alfred Wegener, German geologist and meteorologist * Friedrich Wegener, a German pathologist * Gerda Wegener, Danish illustrator * Mike Wegener, Major League Baseball pitcher * Paul Wegener,… …   Wikipedia

  • Wegener — puede referirse a: Personas Alfred Wegener (1880 1930), científico que desarrolló la teoría de la deriva continental; Einar Mogens Wegener (1882 1931), danés, primer transexual que registra la historia; …   Wikipedia Español

  • Wegener — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Wegener peut faire référence à : Patronyme Alfred Wegener (1880 1930), un astronome et météorologue allemand ayant posé l hypothèse de la dérive des… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Wegener, Gerda — (3/15/1885 Copenhagen 6/28/1940 Fredericksberg) (Denmark / France)    Painter and commercial artist. Studied at the Kunstakademie in Copenhagen. Her signature is a black mask. She was associated with the French magazine Eros. She produced a… …   Dictionary of erotic artists: painters, sculptors, printmakers, graphic designers and illustrators

  • Lili Elbe — (1882 1931) was one of the first identifiable [Magnus Hirschfeld, Chirurgische Eingriffe bei Anomalien des Sexuallebens: Therapie der Gegenwart , pgs 451 455, pg 67] recipient of male to female sex reassignment surgery.… …   Wikipedia

  • Lili Elbe — (1882 1931) (ver Notas) fue la primera persona conocida en ser el destinatario de una cirugía de cambio de sexo. Había nacido en Dinamarca y fue identificado como varón al momento de su nacimiento. Nacido como Einar Mogens Wegener, se identificó… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Вегенер, Герда — Герда Вегенер Gerda Wegener …   Википедия

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