Balthus

by Claude Roy

Balthazar Klossowskide 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.

Genres: Art

272 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1996

About the author

Claude Roy, writer: born Paris 28 August 1915; twice married, secondly to Loleh Bellon (one son); died Paris 13 December 1997.
The son of the artiste-peintre Felicien Roy, Claude Roy was born with an eye for the unusual and colourful, and an ear for words so acute, he always seemed like a child learning to speak and read.

Several of his best known books are rhymes, poems and absurd tales for the young of all ages, illustrated by well-known artists, among whom he had many friends, including Picasso, Balthus, Zao Wou Ki and Zoran Music. Roy's last work was a book on his friend, Balthus (1996). His most enchanting children's books, two volumes of Enfantasques (1974 and 1978) are illustrated by his own witty collages. He wrote a delightful book about the art of painting, inspired by memories of watching his father at work, in L'Amour de la peinture (1955).

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