Size: F15, 66cm × 56cm, 26” x 22”
Media: Brush, Oil paint on Canvas
Date: Completed September 25, 1975
Where: Painted at Fayence, France
Signature: “christine benson 1975”
Currently: Banteruck household
Francesca Banteruck was another portrait commission done on short notice during the summer holiday time while relatives were visiting my mother’s very close friends, David and Francis Randall. It’s interesting to see that my mother definitely had a real fixed price list based on size, which she would discount for friends despite always being short of income.
I only have this single small photograph of the painting but I felt it was important to include as my mother stated in her diary “It is one of my best portraits ever!” I’m a little concerned that the photograph may have been trimmed or cropped slightly on the left hand side, but it is the only image I have of the painting as I suspect my mother had no time for professional picture of it taken. Interestingly, I did come across the Polaroids she mentions. She would mostly use these for the details on the clothing and to make sure things like the position of the hands were the same for each sitting. They are included at the bottom of the page.
Diary Entries
| August 29, 1975 | Francis’s relatives turned up far too late to start for a sitting. David has decided on size 15 F that’s 1500 francs on my friend’s price list but they have been so kind to me I don’t like to charge them so much. |
| August 30, 1975 | Was relaxed and ready for ages before the family came. Francesca is very good sitter, very quiet but too shy – difficult to get her to talk, so I don’t know how much English she understands and I speak no German. We had a lot of trouble getting her hands to look natural holding the flowers. Had more or less finished charcoal drawing when the family returned. Her father was very surprised that it had such a look of her and that the hands were typical of the way she uses them. He was also surprised we had got so far & I felt I was one stage behind! Using Polaroids I caught up later drawing in with paint – took two hours. Must stop the family all sitting around indefinitely when they collect her. |
| August 31, 1975 | Was again ready with paints out and mixing started, but was nervous today. I suppose because I knew that very fair skin would be difficult to achieve and the subtle contours. Her English is pretty hopeless and when she tries it out her whole face goes very pink – changing all the color! I painted the skin leaving the features for tomorrow – later decided that was a mistake. |
| September 1, 1975 | Francesca arrived early – poor dear was so sleepy – and the light so bad with heavy skies I even put out the wrong colour! in spite of these setbacks – the work on the features went well and when the fringe and some of the hair was in, the likeness became startling. |
| September 2, 1975 | Repainted Francesca’s nose successfully before the light became too dark to see anything. Finished hair and neck. David called for her and Bunny visited at the same time. Then black cloudburst and thunderstorms all day |
| September 3, 1975 | How gratifying to be able to write once again of seeing parents overcome with emotion and pure pleasure at seeing a portrait of their daughter – Evelyn Banteruck hugged me with delight and her husband kept saying how could I have captured the subtle expression that they knew and loved – he just didn’t understand but said I certainly knew my job – not a single criticism! Did some difficult work on the arms and hands. …..Later on to work on Francesca’s shirt. |
| September 4, 1975 | Seemed terribly tired – feeling got worse as the day went on, so was Francesca. Finished the painting of the fingers and hands by the time David came – but he said they wanted to spend their last day at the sea so this was the last sitting – so he gave me more time to get the shirt and folds corrected. In the early part of the session my wrists suddenly acted up with an intense pain had to apply ointment and bandage tightly in order to continue which I had to. Took 2 and a 1/2 hours to put the check design on the front of the shirt in the afternoon. Then the Randalls and Banterucks came to take me out to dinner – I had just enough energy to change into a long skirt. The compliments and praise of the portrait became quite embarrassing. After washing up brushes -went to bed tired but happy. It is one of my best portraits ever! |
| September 5, 1975 | Too tired to do any good work and now the pressure is off so there’s no need, had a mildly domestic day. |
| September 23, 1975 | Two hours Francesca’s shirt finished. Finally painted the check design on the sleeves of Francesca’s shirt. Took all morning. Sketched from lounge window in afternoon didn’t feel up to tackling background on oil portrait. |
| September 24, 1975 | 2 hours Francesca background. 1 hour Francesca, David and Francis came at tea, paid 1500 francs for Francesca. A very good day slightly marred by slight headache and the growing realization that my eyes are probably the cause, that would mean another outlay of money. Difficult work on background on Francesca’s portrait trying to keep it light but still project the figure forward – Marjorie came as I was finishing and suggested painting viridian into the dark shadows – excellent it just did the trick. It was nice, we had a relaxed conversation about our families – hope she comes again on her own like that. In afternoon had just finished putting reflections on the table when David and Francis arrived – timing was perfect and because the painting was practically finished this time I could accept the check for 1500 francs. |
| September 25, 1975 | Finish portrait of Francesco Banteruck 26″ x 22″ – 21 hours. Then finished Serenade. |
Reference photographs
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