Size: 25F, 74cm × 50cm, 29” x 19.5”
Media: Brush, Oil paint on Canvas
Date: June 19, 1977
Where: Painted at Fayence, France
Signature: “christine benson”
Currently: In the family collection
Recognition was another painting based on a dream. In the painting, Christine has altered her own face to give it a more feline look, complete with pseudo ears formed by the waves in her hair. Of course, the most notable feature is the swapping of the eyes between the two of them. In the dream, Christine spoke of feeling that she was a cat in a former life, and so she knew the soul that was now in her cat, hence the title.
As she acknowledges in the diary, I think this is one of her most personal paintings, this and “My Dilemma“.
Diary Entries
| June 6, 1977 | Work: start a new canvas. TM and yoga. Start a new painting on English canvas – PC’s Head with my eyes and my head with PC’s eyes – possible title “Reflection?” It’s not going to be easy. PC wasn’t really in the mood to pose. Had to resort to A’s photo of her. Silly to start a painting if it’s going to be destroyed in an earthquake, taut pis! [local earthquake predicted by a friend the day before] |
| June 7, 1977 | Work: 6hrs new canvas “Recognition”. Jubilee Day in England – sounds as if the country went mad! Bonfires across the land, street parties, pageantry, hunting and warm emotion to a happy Queen, as I heard on the BBC. For myself, I painted steadily all day except for lunch and a 45 minute nap. Finally got a ‘Pussy cat’ expression on my face – PC again not v. cooperative. In PM tried to get the swirling colors of the aura around the heads after darkening the canvas, didn’t come off- the spiraling idea, so changed it to a blending egg shaped aura enclosing both heads. |
| June 17, 1977 | Work 6hrs “Recognition” Did a smashing day’s painting – change PCs eyes, and finish most of ‘my’ face in the hot afternoon – just didn’t finish my cat eyes. |
| June 18, 1977 | Work: 5½ hrs “Recognition”. The ‘peace and tranquility’ of a Saturday afternoon in a French village has to be heard to be believed – it starts with Madame Lampowski’s too Loud TV Western, the children playing more and more noisily, the young lads racing their motorbikes and reaches a crescendo with the church bells announcing a marriage & today some 40 cars joyously hooting their way in, & out, behind the bridal couple! Bedlam! In spite of this I painted all day, apart from a quick shop AM and returning bad chicken legs to the Co-op and finished, I think, my painting “Recognition” 22 hours work |
| June 19, 1977 | Was v. excited with “Recognition” as I put the finishing touches to it – and intensified the aura. To bring myself down I went straight to work on a sepia drawing with a sharpened end (wood) of a brush. Did 2 Place Astier and Rue de Chateau. In PM experimented with a self portrait in sepia not a success. I feel the painting is very personal to PC and I. It’s obviously got impact – judging by people’s reactions to it. The Gordon’s were the only ones who thought the face like mine – Jane said “oh it’s beautiful!” Ray “How could you get PCs expressions so well?” Pandora “don’t change it, it’s too successful”. When her friend Joan said the shape & eye lids should have been interchanged as well. |
| July 5, 1977 | Pierre came over with plan and letter for Mairie [mayor’s offcie] – stayed and had a pastis. Was most enthusiastic about “Rapport”, the cat painting, and about sepia drawings. Hope he doesn’t copy them. He seemed very friendly and chatty. |
Initial Sketch
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