Balthazar Klossowski de Rola, better known as Balthus, is one of the greatest European painters of our time. Born in 1908 to Polish parents,Balthus grew up in various European cities,most notably Geneva, Berlin, and Paris, where he was introduced to many influential artists and writers, including Rainer Maria Rilke. At age sixteen, Balthus decided to become a painter,seeking the advice of French artists such as Pierre Bonnard and Maurice Denis. Though not part of any major school, Balthus has steadily gained recognition' over the past twenty years,especially after an important exhibition of his work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1984. Many of his paintings are now found in major U.S. museums.

Balthazar Klossowski de Rola, better known as Balthus, is one of the greatest European painters of our time. Born in 1908 to Polish parents,Balthus grew up in various European cities,most notably Geneva, Berlin, and Paris, where he was introduced to many influential artists and writers, including Rainer Maria Rilke. At age sixteen, Balthus decided to become a painter,seeking the advice of French artists such as Pierre Bonnard and Maurice Denis. Though not part of any major school, Balthus has steadily gained recognition' over the past twenty years,especially after an important exhibition of his work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1984. Many of his paintings are now found in major U.S. museums.

This fascinating book takes the scholarship on Balthus to a higher level, revealing new insights into the artist's life and career and reproducing for the first time in color many pictures held in private collections. Balthus's art is unmistakable -- from his intense and brooding portraits of women and adolescent girls, which seethe with unsettling undercurrents of eroticism and despair, to his exquisite yet somewhat imaginary landscapes, which exhibit a profound admiration of nature. Balthus's enigmatic personal vision is perhaps best conveyed in his own words: "I don't try to express myself, but rather to express the world."

CHAPTER I

He Who Keeps His Distance

CHAPTER II

From the Cat Child to the King of Cats

CHAPTER II1

Apprenticeships

CHAPTER IV

The Young Artist

CHAPTER V

A Dream Smile

CHAPTER VI

Spahi

CHAPTER VII

The Street

CHAPTER VIII

The Aristocratic Pleasure of Displeasing (BAUDELAIRE)

CHAPTER IX

Portraits

CHAPTER X

Orients

CHAPTER XI

Landscapes

CHAPTER XII

Drawing, the Innermost Heart

CHAPTER XIII

A Portrait of Light

CHAPTER XIV

Chassy

CHAPTER XV

Through the Looking Glass

CHAPTER XVI

Theme and Variations

CHAPTER XVII

Theater

CHAPTER XVIII

The Villa Medici

CHAPTER XIX

Balthus Observed

CHAPTER XX

The Lady from the Orient

CHAPTER XXI

The Grand Chalet in the En Haut Region

CHAPTER XXII

Conversation in the Studio

CHAPTER XXIII

Balthusiana

CHAPTER XXIV

The Time-Charmer

An Essential Bibliography

Photographic Credits