How the painting, Fantasy at Dawn, originated is 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, “Benny” Benson, during World War II. He is also the grandson of his namesake, Conrad Selvig, the congressman from Minnesota from 1927 to 1933.

In the summer of 1972, Conrad managed to connect up with Christine while he was travelling through Europe “finding himself”. Christine, always ready to take in strays and travelers, invited him to stay while she was house sitting at an American friend’s villa. Judging from the diaries and stories I heard, there was a great deal of partying and many late nights spent solving the world’s problems as Christine 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.

The painting depicts some particular issues Conrad was facing. The partying and drinking aspects of his life 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, this 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: one of the few symbols that can represent both a decadent life and the search for wisdom. In the background, on the other side of the “ocean”, are the mountains of Big Sur from his home state of California and a big IBM and Ford billboard representing a future corporate life he was trying to avoid. All is set in the dawn light to represent both the time when we have regrets about the previous night’s partying and the start of a new day or new phase in one’s life. We are fortunate to have a record from Christine’s diaries of the time the painting took, revealing that this was in competition with the time needed for her new commission, Mme. Ramage.

In a personal letter to me with an enclosed photograph, Christine writes: “Fantasy at Dawn or Euphorie au Petit Matin, oil 21″x 26″ 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 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, Christine 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