Size: 30F, 92cm × 73cm, 36” x 28”
Media: Brush, Oil paint on Canvas
Date: February 11, 1977
Where: Painted at Fayence, France
Signature: “christine benson 1977”
Currently: Unknown
Sybille Bennet was a fellow artist, neighbour and good friend of my mothers who lived just opposite my mother’s place in Fayence on the other side of the Rue de Château. This was another painting created to enter a specific exhibition, the 13th Grand Prix of the Côte d’Azure, in Cannes. In the diaries you can read where Sybille and my mother were looking for a theme for the painting and settled on the origins of the name Sybille. Sybille is a variation of the spelling of Sibyl which was the name given to the prophetesses of the ancient Greeks (and Romans). One of the many Sibyls, the Cumaean Sibyl, is known to have lived in a cave by the water in nearby Italy. Working with that small bit of information my mother created the painting you see here.
A few things to note in the painting are the symbol for Leo ♌︎ , Sybille’s birth sign which is reinforced with the profile of the lion in the rock under her right elbow. This harkens back to the lioness in her Return to the Source painting. In the ocean behind the main figure is a schooner, to represent her husband who was the captain of a similar vessel and often away at sea. The rest is a very faithful portrait of Sybille.
If you read the diary entries below about the painting you will see mention of Jean, Sybille’s husband, as well as Fanny and Alexandre, their children. Along with what seems to have been quite the night out for the Exhibition opening.
This was one of two paintings entered in the exhibition won a “Diplôme d’Honneur” and “Grande Finaliste”. In one of my mother’s portfolio books below the photograph of Sybille the painting, she includes the following translated quote from the L’Independant Côte d’Azure – March 1977. “BENSON – ‘Sybille’ and ‘Un Souffle de Renaissance’, two portraits that not only constitute excellent examples of the genre, but also convey a personality through their symbolism. Christine Benson has a feeling for posture, a great knowledge of drapery, and solid draughtsmanship – all extremely rare qualities today.”
Diary Entries
| January 20, 1977 | Sybille then Jean came over at pastis time. She is all for going in for the 13th Grand Prix of the Côte d’Azure – it might be fun. What to send? I do enjoy their company – they are fun people. Had bright idea why not a painting of Sybille? But what symbolism? |
| January 21, 1977 | Met Sybille – she was thrilled with idea. Sybille came as Ray and Gertie left. We looked in Greek mythology, she was a prophetess in a cave. Leo and boats – possibilities beginning… it must be v. dramatic intense and mysterious. |
| January 22, 1977 | Work: 1½hrs bad. Did some really bad painting on the background of the Nathalie portrait gray – quite hopeless – can’t think why it is such a chore. Maybe because other paintings are on my mind. |
| January 23, 1977 | Black skies yet again. Pointless to think of oil painting – maybe that’s why the drab colors of yesterday. Studied watercolor book instead and then worked out color sketches for the painting of Sybille. |
| January 26, 1977 | Sybille joined us and brought the big canvas 30F horrifying price of 91 francs! |
| January 27, 1977 | Sybille unable to sit today too late up and schools closed. |
| January 28, 1977 | Work: 1hr Sybille portrait 1st sitting. Took time to get organized to work in the lounge – fixing up the spotlight etc. even [put] my dressing table mirror on the chest so Sybille could at least see something. Difficult – the canvas is too big to sit so close to it but eventually got figure charcoaled in in proportion. If I can pull it off it will be beautiful. She sits very well it’s not a comfortable pose. 1hrs work. |
| January 29, 1977 | Work: 2nd sitting Sybille 1hr. Sybille came bringing Alexandre! I took P.[polaroid] photo and S was thrilled with the way the blue dress falls. Took me the full hour to get likeness & just the head and hand. Am getting v. excited about this painting. |
| January 30, 1977 | Work: ½hr Sybille 3rd sitting. Sybille came early – friend (M) who admires her, had bought her 2 30F canvases from Nice – a present! Don’t tell Jean. She and Marianne came over at midi – M says she thinks it will be my best yet – the enthusiastic and S. posed while I painted in the rest of the arm and feet. |
| February 3, 1977 | Work: 1½hrs Sybille 4th sitting. 1½hrs background. Things went wrong got knotted with tension after a visit from Colette a friend of Sybille’s v. chatty and wanting to talk about painting – was waiting for Sybille to come from dentist – finally after 11:00 AM with Alexandre, she came for the important start on the painting – the face. Finally started doing some decent painting in the last half hour, found dear little (& v. bored & fractious) Alexandre distracting to put it mildly! In pm worked on Lion’s head in rock form, difficult no profile photo. Then altered background on Nathalie’s portrait and several touches on face. Jeannine came had idea of title for A. “Un souffle de Renaissance” (A breath of the Renaissance) I like it. |
| February 4, 1977 | Work: 1½hrs Sybille’s 5th sitting. It’s definitely a conspiracy! I’ll never get finished on Sybille’s portrait with so many interruptions and sittings. This morning I had put first touches in the eyes when Pierre came to see both of us – half a precious hour later all was clear. Fayence and two other villages in the Var have been chosen by the state for a grant to develop its artisans and artists to make a cultural center. Pierre is the organizer! He wants ideas so is going to pick everyone’s brain! We don’t mind at all. He said “Tina you are always full of good ideas!” Also wants me to teach next winter in new “Maison de Culture”! We had a good laugh after! Managed to get her eyes done then later complete (with Alexandre again) another section of the face. |
| February 5, 1977 | Work: 2hrs Sybille 6th. PC[Pussy Cat] had me up early again – around 6:30 AM still dark. Had a bit of a headache – but was organized & paint mixed by 10 when Sybille came and we had our first proper session. Finish face and neck and small finger on mouth. Worked on after S. left. |
| February 6, 1977 | Work: 1½hrs with, 3hrs without Sybille. Quite impossible! My model Sybille – she disappeared after half an hour to pop down and buy tickets for the ‘tierce’ (horse racing). One hour later she returned flushed & apologetic with five pastis under her belt and having organized something a friend needed! She sits like an angel when she’s here…… Sybille came back for a bath and to wash her hair. While I started painting in the dress from the Polaroid and went on with it until Dot & Peggy came! |
| February 7, 1977 | Work: 2hrs S. What a super happy day! Washed hair & felt younger. More work on blue dress, before Sybille came for the painting of her hair. Told her I’d made a mistake I was only 44 years old – her face was a study! My joke, of course, but she was pleased – she gets so cross when I say I’m old – says all my friends are too old with gray hair. Had an awful job getting the color of that gorgeous red hair. S’s father came & exclaimed and kept repeating how like S. the portrait was. Said not to touch the face – perfect! Went on working until 2:00 PM with S & Alexandre coming in and out for quick sittings. Lunch – short nap – more work on hair. |
| February 8, 1977 | Work: 2½hrs S. Bit untogether with painting – mixed up all the wrong blues but when Sybille sat for half an hour I did some good work on the hair. Mary came just as I had to rush out to get petrol into Daisy for this afternoons trip. She said Sybille’s painting best yet bound to win a prize! She loved the painting of Nathalie……. Home exhausted at 8:00 PM. Had to clean two palettes and brushes before bed. slept badly – was painting red hair all night! |
| February 9, 1977 | Work: 6hrs S. Before breakfast saw Sybille – she came and sat for 10 minutes and I lightened fringe – better. We worked out finances from yesterday and what she owes me. Then I settled down and finished the hair and redid portions and finally at midi I thought it looked superb! Lovely in studio all afternoon – so warm and sunny I worked with the windows open. doggedly work on dress until it was finished – 4hrs! |
| February 10, 1977 | Work: 8hrs!! Painting, painting and more painting! From 10 to 12:15 and 3 to 8:30 PM and was even dabbing away at it at 11:00 PM but the big canvas of Sybille is all but finished! Only jewelry and a couple of strengthening touches needed to do. Worked in lounge on hands and feet with Sybille posing, dull grey weather and a great help for us – AM and PM. Stopped in middle of washing brushes at midnight with a strong feeling that I would find A’s blueprints – I did! Behind one of the drawers that had slipped down with a relief – 11th hour! |
| February 11, 1977 | Work: 2hrs A. 2hrs S. Calmly, for a change, worked on Anthony’s portrait – did blueprints on the blank pages and shadows and dividers and shirt and buttons et cetera until it was finished! 101hrs. Afternoon – put in jewelry and last few touches on Sybille’s portrait and at 5:00 PM it was finished! 42½hrs Washed brushes and charged off with canvas of Sybille to Jane and Ray. They loved it J. said it had a freshness about it. Had a v. happy visit with them – before going on to the J.P.’s. (even Harry liked the painting!!) |
| February 13, 1977 | To Cannes with Sybille and paintings. Gave Danielle four color cards of Fayence for investigating tax problems for me. After pizza & siesta – Sybille and I set off with all our paintings to Winter Casino [exhibition] in Cannes. Thousands of cars on the road and round the lake – long queue to get into Cannes. Offloaded paintings – we’re in 2nd exhibition. Confusion because S’s work was marked ‘Sybille’ and so was the title of one of mine. |
| February 27, 1977 | Work: 2hrs ‘water girl’ changing sea. Jean’s face when he saw the photos of the painting of Sybille was my reward – a surprise smile and a ‘C’est incroyable!’ Did some work – trying to change the colours in the water – it really was horrible. |
| March 4, 1977 | We raced off to Cannes and met with Jean & Fanny as we came from autoroute. Followed them to free port parking. Hundreds of people pouring into exhibition. S. paintings well placed – my two separated but Mme. Sontag said she would change that. The Austin’s came with excellent brief résumé and they bought me a drink of wine in the bar – Mme. Coulon – then Jeannine & student, who was given the job of writing M. Picard’s article for the Var Matin. We all finally left to find dinner at La Socca, stopping for a drink & shrimps on the way. Super menu, and Maurice and Denise joined Colette, Girard, S., Jean, Fanny, self and Marianne….. We all left – coffee in another place but Sybille said let’s go so I collected car & Fanny and I left at 2:00 AM to find petrol which we did. Awful drive back through fog. Bed at 3:00 AM. |
| March 23, 1977 | I knew within three minutes of Sybille getting her mail that she’d be over – she was and half nude under a large cardigan! Full of excitement. She, like me had won a Diploma d’Honneur. I was pleased with write up, 11 lines on the front page: (roughly in English) “Two excellent portraits & interpretations of people, but more affirming the personality by the included symbolism. C.B. possesses a sense of attitude, a grand science of draperies and solid drawing, all qualities extremely rare today.” That was in L’Independent Cannes midi. Nice eh? |
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