Gerda Wegener was a Danish illustrator and painter. She is best known for her fashion illustrations and her paintings, in and Art Nouveau and Art Deco style, that pushed the boundaries of her time concerning gender and love. Her progressive and elegant fashion illustrations appeared in Vogue and La Vie Parisienne among other magazines.
Gerda met fellow artist Lili Elbe- then known as Einar Wegener at the Royal Danish Academy of Arts in Copenhagen. They married in 1904 and Einar soon took on a female identity adopting the name Lili and taking on a female persona. Lili dressed up in the fashions of the time posing with fans and feathers and became Gerda's favourite model. Gerda became an extremely successful portrait painter in the 1920s and her work was particularly recognised in France, bought by, among others, the Pompidou Centre in Paris during her life time.
Gerda and Lili's story was made into a film 'The Danish Girl' (2015) starring Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander. Alicia won the Academy Award for best supporting actress for her role as Gerda Wegener.