Wanda Gág Day!

Wanda’s Loves

The artist/author/translator Wanda Gág’s first love was art.

In addition to this passion she also cultivated numerous intimate relationships with several lovers. Her first non-platonic lover was Adolph Dehn, a talented artist who she met at art school:



Their sexual relationship was somewhat unsatisfactory, although they would remain life-long friends. Wanda met her next lover, Earle Humphreys, through Adolph. Wanda also had a fling with Lewis Gannett, a writer and critic. She would visit him and his family at his home in Connecticut:



Wanda also a long-term but somewhat low-key affair with her gallery manager, Carl Zigrosser. He too, would remain her friend long after the affair had cooled:


Robert Janssen
 
Perhaps Wanda’s most passionate affair was with Dr. Hugh Darby. A side note: Hugh’s efforts in obtaining then-experimental Sulfa drugs saved the life of Wanda’s sister Stella:



During World War II, Wanda finally married Earle Humphreys to prevent a scandal that  threatened his job. Earle would remain with Wanda throughout her final illness and after her death he was executor of her estate:


Robert Janssen

Was Wanda’s greatest love not even human?



“Noopy” was the cat who inspired (and was the model for) Millions of Cats.  He may have done more for Wanda’s career than any of her other paramours!


More on Wanda…