Where to See Balthus

Balthus's paintings and drawings are held in numerous collections around the world. In Paris, his work can be viewed at the Musée National d’Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou; the Musée d’Orsay; the Musée du Louvre; and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Other French^[1] museums that hold works by Balthus include the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Nancy; the Musée de l’Ecole de Nancy; and the Musée d’Art et d’Industrie in Roubaix. Outside France, museums with works by Balthus include the Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique in Brussels; the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna; the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto; the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid; the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg; and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh.

Printmaking has a long history; its origins can be traced to ancient Egypt and China, where stamps and seals were used. Paper's increasing availability in Europe, at the close of the fourteenth century, allowed printmaking to flourish. Woodcuts served as book illustrations, religious icons, New Year's cards, and playing cards. Handmade prints were used whenever multiple images were needed, until photography's mid-nineteenth-century advent. Printmaking was viewed mostly as a craft for commercial picture reproduction; however, masters such as Dürer, Goya and Rembrandt elevated graphics to high art. Prints gradually came to be viewed as a major artistic medium during the later nineteenth century, and the quality of individual impressions gained importance. Artists started signing their prints, which distinguished original graphics, possessing inherent aesthetic value, from reproductions. A signature testified to a print's authenticity and the artist's approval of a particular proof. Artists controlled quality by limiting the size of print editions and numbering them.

Balthasar Klossowski de Rola (1908^[1]-2001^[1]), known as Balthus, was a French^[1] painter of Polish descent. Rainer Maria Rilke recognised Balthus's talent early; in 1921^[1], Rilke published a collection of the boy's panels. Later, in the 1930s, Balthus became acquainted with Surrealists such as Giacometti and Artaud. Balthus's art historical knowledge is evident in his paintings, which contain quotations from Giotto to Caravaggio. He painted still lifes, portraits, and street scenes. His representations of young girls are particularly notable, often set within a disturbing atmosphere. One such painting is *Girl and Cat* (1937), which presents an adolescent girl with a cat. The image has erotic overtones, capturing the disturbing quality of adolescence. Balthus's paintings often feature an erotic tension. He saw the arousal of desire and latent violence as a metamorphosis of Eros, similar to Caravaggio. In 1961, André Malraux appointed him director of the Villa Medici, the French academy in Rome. Since 1981, he has been an honorary member of the Royal Academy, London.

Balthus's technique involved a slow, careful execution, reflecting his study of earlier masters such as Piero della Francesca and Nicolas Poussin. The intellectual intention behind his work is as important as the materials he employed. Technique, in this context, encompasses more than just the method of execution; it involves the manual and mechanical processes that shape raw materials according to artistic intentions. Balthus's approach can be seen as an exploration of what painting uniquely offers, particularly at a time when other media had taken over traditional roles of art. Painters often begin with ideas and feelings, then turn to the practical aspects of craft to express them. The durability of materials, once a primary concern, became less so for some twentieth-century artists, while mechanical operations gained significance.

Balthus, born Balthasar Klossowski de Rola, came from a Polish family that moved to Paris in the mid-19th century. Rainer Maria Rilke recognised and encouraged Balthus's talent early on, publishing a collection of the boy's panels in 1921^[1]. Later, Balthus became acquainted with Surrealists such as Giacometti and Artaud. Balthus's art displays a knowledge of art history, with references to artists from Giotto to Caravaggio. He explored diverse subjects, including still lifes, portraits, and Paris street scenes. He is perhaps best known for his representations of young girls on the cusp of womanhood. One artist who felt Balthus's influence was Leland Bell. Bell admired painters of the past, such as Titian, Louis Le Nain, and especially Giotto. However, Balthus's "smooth ambiguities" also resonated with Bell. Balthus's paintings of children playing or reading, which suggest boredom and the human condition, are echoed in Bell's work. Bell sought to integrate light, drawing, colour, story, psychology, and the human condition into his art.

Balthasar Klossowski de Rola (Balthus) was an independent artist, but various influences are apparent in his work. He admired painters of the past, especially those from the early Renaissance. Masaccio, Piero della Francesca, and Poussin were important to him; he copied their paintings as a young man. These artists' sense of form and composition resonated with Balthus. Later in his life, Balthus expressed admiration for Courbet. Some have noted a connection to German Romanticism, specifically the work of Caspar David Friedrich, in Balthus's treatment of certain subjects. Literary figures also influenced Balthus. As a teenager, he created illustrations for *Wuthering Heights* by Emily Brontë. The writer Rainer Maria Rilke was a friend and mentor to the young artist. Balthus also maintained friendships with writers such as Albert Camus and Antonin Artaud. These relationships shaped his intellectual and artistic outlook.

Balthasar Klossowski de Rola (Balthus) is best known for his paintings of adolescent girls. These works often depict his subjects in ambiguous, dreamlike states. They can be unsettling, and have often been the subject of controversy. One of Balthus's most recognised paintings is "The Guitar Lesson", completed in 1934^[1]. It depicts a young girl sprawled across a woman's lap; the woman's hands are positioned as if she is playing the girl like a guitar. The work's erotic overtones caused immediate outrage when it was first exhibited. Some critics view it as a disturbing exploration of innocence and corruption, while others see it as simply exploitative. Another notable painting is "Thérèse Dreaming" from 1938. It portrays a girl asleep, her pose somewhat unnatural, with one hand raised above her head. The painting is admired for its technical skill, but also criticised for its voyeuristic quality. Balthus's exploration of adolescence, combined with his distinctive style, has ensured his place in 20th-century art history, even as his subject matter continues to provoke debate.

Balthus's art resists easy categorisation within a single movement. While his career began after the height of movements such as Surrealism and New Objectivity^[1], aspects of his work connect to both. Surrealism aimed to express the world of dreams and the unconscious in art. Some surrealists sought "concrete irrationality" in their naturalistic paintings, depicting dreamlike scenes. Balthus's paintings often have a dreamlike quality, and his subject matter can be unsettling. The New Objectivity movement arose after World War I, with artists focusing on depicting the realities of the world. While Balthus did not directly engage with the horrors of war like some New Objectivity artists, his work shares a certain objectivity in its rendering of figures and settings. Ultimately, Balthus remained an independent figure, drawing inspiration from various sources, including Renaissance art, and forging his own distinctive path.