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)
Projet pour l'Acte I, Scène 2 pour

Balthus

Projet pour l'Acte I, Scène 2 pour "Les..., 1935

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Etude de décor, avec l'ombre de la roue,..., 1935

Balthus

Etude de décor, avec l'ombre de la roue,..., 1935

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Etude pour

Balthus

Etude pour "La Caserne" - 1931, 1931

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Etude pour

Balthus

Etude pour "La Caserne" - 1931, 1931

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Etude pour

Balthus

Etude pour "La Caserne" - 1931, 1931

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Etude d'arbre, personnage assis - 1946, 1946

Balthus

Etude d'arbre, personnage assis - 1946, 1946

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Projet pour l'Acte I, Scène 3 , et l'Acte..., 1935

Balthus

Projet pour l'Acte I, Scène 3 , et l'Acte..., 1935

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Etude pour

Balthus

Etude pour "Paysage d'hiver" - 1954, 1954

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Ensemble de deux oeuvres sur papier

Balthus

Ensemble de deux oeuvres sur papier

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Etude de décor pour

Balthus

Etude de décor pour "Le Peintre et son..., 1949

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Blondine et le perroquet, projet..., 1954

Balthus

Blondine et le perroquet, projet..., 1954

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Etude de décor (L'Ile des Chèvres) - 1953, 1953

Balthus

Etude de décor (L'Ile des Chèvres) - 1953, 1953

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Ensemble de deux oeuvres sur papier, 1952

Balthus

Ensemble de deux oeuvres sur papier, 1952

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Branche de vigne vierge, étude pour

Balthus

Branche de vigne vierge, étude pour "Le..., 1958

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Paysage à Chassy - 1956, 1956

Attributed to Balthus

Paysage à Chassy - 1956, 1956

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Ensemble de quatre oeuvres sur papier - , 1953–1954

Balthus

Ensemble de quatre oeuvres sur papier - , 1953–1954

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Cahier d'écolier à grands carreaux avec..., 1947

Attributed to Balthus

Cahier d'écolier à grands carreaux avec..., 1947

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Le Morvan - 1954, 1954

Balthus

Le Morvan - 1954, 1954

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Cahier d'écolier de dix-sept feuillets et six...

Attributed to Balthus

Cahier d'écolier de dix-sept feuillets et six...

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Bloc de huits feuillets et troisième de..., 1953

Attributed to Balthus

Bloc de huits feuillets et troisième de..., 1953

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Kenitra - 1931, 1931

Balthus

Kenitra - 1931, 1931

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Carnet à dessins de onze feuillets dessinés..., 1937

Attributed to Balthus

Carnet à dessins de onze feuillets dessinés..., 1937

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Etude pour

Attributed to Balthus

Etude pour "Les Trois Soeurs" - 1955, 1955

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Carnet d'études à couverture cartonnée noire , 1941

Attributed to Balthus

Carnet d'études à couverture cartonnée noire , 1941

Sale Date: December 7, 2021

Auction Closed

English (US)

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