Balthus

(French, 1908–2001)

Balthus was a French painter known for his dreamlike depictions of eroticized pubescent girls. One of his best-known paintings La Leçon de guitar (The Guitar Lesson) (1934), portrays a woman and young girl in the midst of a music lesson, with the woman’s breast exposed and the young girl’s skirt above her waist. “I always feel the desire to look for the extraordinary in ordinary things; to suggest, not to impose, to leave always a slight touch of mystery in my paintings,” he once said. Born Balthasar Klossowski on February 29, 1908 in Paris, France to an artistic family, exposed to the Parisian cultural and artistic elite at a young age. He and his brother Pierre Klossowski befriended many prominent figures of the 1920s, including Pablo Picasso, Alberto Giacometti, and Georges Bataille. During the period before and after World War II, Balthus moved from France, settling in Rome in 1964, where he befriended Federico Fellini. He later moved to Switzerland with his young Japanese wife the artist Setsuko Ideta in 1977. The artist died in Rossinière, Switzerland on February 18, 2001. Today, Balthus’s work can be found in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Gallery in London, and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, among others.

Balthus News

Artnet News Pro

By the Numbers: A Breakdown of Results From Sotheby's Modern Art Evening Sale, November 2023

by Eileen Kinsella
By the Numbers: A Breakdown of Results From Sotheby's Modern Art Evening Sale, November 2023
Auctions

A Balthus Painting Deaccessioned by the Art Institute of Chicago Heads to Auction at Sotheby’s, Where It Could Fetch $18 Million

by Adam Schrader
A Balthus Painting Deaccessioned by the Art Institute of Chicago Heads to Auction at Sotheby’s, Where It Could Fetch $18 Million
Auctions

A Balthus Painting From the Same Series That Drew Protests at the Met Is Expected to Fetch as Much as $18 Million at Auction

by Taylor Dafoe
A Balthus Painting From the Same Series That Drew Protests at the Met Is Expected to Fetch as Much as $18 Million at Auction

Balthus Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Balthus (1,600 results)
Reclining nude, 1974

Balthus

Reclining nude, 1974

Sale Date: October 28, 2021

Auction Closed

Portrait de fillette (Chantal), 1973–1976

Balthus

Portrait de fillette (Chantal), 1973–1976

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Jeune fille endormie, 1973

Balthus

Jeune fille endormie, 1973

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Phoque, chat et oiseau de profil, 1975–1977

Balthus

Phoque, chat et oiseau de profil, 1975–1977

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Katia dans un fauteuil les bras levés, 1970–1971

Balthus

Katia dans un fauteuil les bras levés, 1970–1971

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Étude pour

Balthus

Étude pour "Le Peintre et son modèle"..., 1976–1977

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Tireurs de langue (recto; verso), 1950

Balthus

Tireurs de langue (recto; verso), 1950

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Étude pour

Balthus

Étude pour "Le Peintre et son modèle", 1977

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Projet de décor mural, étude de colonne, de..., 1953

Balthus

Projet de décor mural, étude de colonne, de..., 1953

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Nu endormi, 1971

Balthus

Nu endormi, 1971

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Étude pour

Balthus

Étude pour "Nu couché", 1976–1977

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Étude pour

Balthus

Étude pour "Nu assoupi", 1977

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Étude pour

Balthus

Étude pour "Japonaise à la table rouge", 1963

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

La Séance de pose, 1975

Balthus

La Séance de pose, 1975

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Vue de Vernatel (recto); Étude d'arbre (verso)

Balthus

Vue de Vernatel (recto); Étude d'arbre (verso)

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Poncif de colonne pour la décoration de la..., 1953

Balthus

Poncif de colonne pour la décoration de la..., 1953

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Chapiteau, projet de décoration pour la..., 1953

Balthus

Chapiteau, projet de décoration pour la..., 1953

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Projets pour la décoration de la villa Fleur , 1953

Balthus

Projets pour la décoration de la villa Fleur , 1953

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Projets de décoration pour la chambre à..., 1953

Balthus

Projets de décoration pour la chambre à..., 1953

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Projets de décoration pour la chambre à..., 1953

Balthus

Projets de décoration pour la chambre à..., 1953

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Colonne, projet de décoration pour la..., 1953

Balthus

Colonne, projet de décoration pour la..., 1953

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Projets pour la décoration de la villa Fleur , 1953

Balthus

Projets pour la décoration de la villa Fleur , 1953

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Double étude de tête (Michelina), 1977

Balthus

Double étude de tête (Michelina), 1977

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

Six personnages en costume espagnol..., 1930–1931

Balthus

Six personnages en costume espagnol..., 1930–1931

Sale Date: October 26, 2021

Auction Closed

English (US)

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