Wegener, Gerda. (1886–1940) "2000 Lilas" (Amor and Young Woman) – Designs for a perfume advertisement, 1919
Wegener, Gerda. (1886–1940)
"2000 Lilas" (Amor and Young Woman) – Designs for a perfume advertisement, 1919
Ink and paint on paper; two photographs with alterations in ink and paint
Three variations of an illustration by the Danish artist, known for her progressive feminist portraiture, all showing a cherub spritzing a young woman with perfume. The original work accomplished in ink and paint, shown as the middle-sized example of the three pieces, in which a flowering tree can be seen behind the cherub. The artist has signed lower left beneath the cherub's bow, but her signature has been later obscured in the process of reworking the piece towards publication. A few notations surround the design, possibly in the hand of the artist who appears to have designated the original version "Mauvais" ("bad") in the upper left, adding the date 19/4/19 and what appears to be the initial "G." The verso bears a small label "2000 Lilas" ("2000 Lilacs"), likely the work's title and/or a reference to an earlier version of the perfume that the artworks were intended to promote. The smallest iteration of the design is a hand-retouched and altered photograph of the work, adapted to a heart-shaped background. Likewise, the largest iteration is a photographic reproduction with different alterations in ink and paint, adapting the illustration in varied ways. The two reworkings both mounted to slightly larger rigid backings, some small holes and dirt, yellowing to the smaller piece, else fine. Sketch is approx. 15.5 x 18.5 inches (39 x 48 cm.), the others approximately 12.25 x 13 inches (31 x 32.5 cm) and 15.5 x 19 inches (39 x 49 cm).