How the painting, Fantasy at Dawn, originated is a bit of a case of it’s a small world. Conrad Selvig, the model in this painting is the son of George Selvig who served in the OSS with my father during World War II. Incidentally he is also the grandson of his namesake Conrad Selvig, the congressman from Minnesota from 1927 to 1933. Back to the summer of 1972, Conrad managed to connect up with my mother while he was travelling through Europe “finding himself” or whatever the expression was then. My mother, always ready to give strays and travelers a place to stay, invited him to stay with her while she was house sitting at an American friends villa. Judging by the diaries and stories I heard, there was significant partying going on and many late nights solving the world’s problems as she almost felt like he was another of her sons. She decided to do a portrait of Conrad just ten days before he was due to continue in his travels.

One can see in the painting the particular issues Conrad was facing. Obviously there is the party and drink aspect which could not be more directly represented than by having his head in the bottom of a wine glass, but as Conrad himself pointed out to me on a later visit, it was not without an escape as depicted by the rope ladder he insisted be added down the back of the glass. Also in the foreground are oyster shells and pearls, few symbols can both represent a decadent life and seeking wisdom at the same time. In the background on the other side of the “ocean” are the mountains of Big Sur from his home state and a big IBM and Ford billboard representing a possible future corporate life he was trying to avoid. All set in the dawn light to represent both the time we have regrets about the previous night partying and the start of a new day or a new phase in one’s life. We are also fortunate to have a record from my mother’s diaries of the time the painting took and can see that she had also just started a new commission of Mme. Ramage which was competing for that time.

In a personal letter to me with an enclosed photograph, she writes “Fantasy at Dawn or Euphorie au Petit Matin, oil 21″x26″ Summer 1972 at Les Fourques, Subject Conrad Selvig. Head in glass to take away from J.C. look – note rope ladder for escape after fantasy ends – IBM & Ford in detract from possible early western aspect – as it was at St. Tropez – right hand mountain as per Big Sur in Calif. dawn studied for weeks from Kathleen’s bed at Les Fourques, pearls in oyster shells for fun. Exhibited at Hotel Martinez, Cannes Feb 1973 Was televised”.

At Nice the following year, she submitted the painting to the Grand Prix de New York 1973 (New York Grand Prix) where it won first prize in the portrait category. In her diary for October 9th she writes “I’VE WON THE PREMIER PRIX FOR PORTRAITS!!! AT EXHIBITION “GRAND PRIX DE NEW YORK” NICE” in an astonished all caps.

Diary Entries