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Balthus
EntityQ325925· pop 37· linked from 501 articles

Also known as Balthasar Klossowski de Rola, Balthazar Klossowski de Rola, Count Balthazar Klossowski de Rola, Baltusz, Balthasar Klossowsky, Balthus Klossowski, Balthasar Klossowsky de Rola, Klossovski de Rola

Balthasar Klossowski (; February 29, 1908 – February 18, 2001), also known as Balthus (), was a Polish-French modern artist. He is known for his erotically charged images of young girls, and the dreamlike quality of his imagery.

OverviewAI-generated

Balthus (1908–2001) was a French and Polish painter, scenographer, draftsperson, and illustrator. Born in Paris, he worked in the genres of landscape painting, still life, and portrait, with a specific field of work in erotic art. His professional locations included Paris, Rome, Rossinière, and Japan. He was a member of the Royal Academy of Arts and received the Praemium Imperiale award.

His parents were Erich Klossowski and Baladine Klossowska. Balthus participated in Documenta 6. His works are held in the collections of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Art Institute of Chicago, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, and Museum of Modern Art. He died in Rossinière, where he is also buried.

Synthesized by Vinony from 27 facts across 4 sources: Wikidata, TMDb, MusicBrainz, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Film & TV

Known for

  • Ettore Sottsass - Der Sinn der Dinge — self2007
  • Alberto Giacometti: What is a Head? — Self2000
  • Âme belge — Wurtselchen / Barsac1921

via TMDB

Key facts

Artist.name
Balthus
Artist.image
BalthusFace.jpg
Artist.caption
Balthus by Damian Pettigrew (1996)
Artist.birth_name
Balthasar Klossowski
Artist.native_name
Balthasar Klossowski de Rola
Artist.birth_place
Paris, France
Artist.death_place
Rossinière, Switzerland
Artist.field
Painting, drawing, watercolor
Artist.works
The Street (1933–1935)The Mountain (1937)Nude Before a Mirror (1955)
Artist.awards
Praemium Imperiale
Artist.children
Stanislas Klossowski de Rola, Thaddeus Klossowski de Rola, Harumi Klossowska de Rola

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Instance of
human
Gender
male
Citizenship
Poland
Place of birth
Paris
Place of death
Rossinière
Occupation
photographer
Languages spoken
French
Participant in
Documenta 6
Field of work
erotic art
Image
Oliver Mark - Balthus, Rossinière 2000 (2).jpg
Work location
Rome
Show 9 more facts
Commons category
Balthus
date of birth
1908-02-29
date of death
2001-02-18
name in native language
Balthus
has works in the collection
Musée Picasso
ethnic group
French
place of burial
Rossinière
pseudonym
Klossowski, Balthasar
Sources (7)

via Wikidata · CC0

~19 min read

Encyclopedic overview

14 sections
Contents
  • Biography
  • Early years
  • Young adulthood
  • Champrovent to Chassy
  • Later years
  • Style and themes
  • Influence and legacy
  • In popular culture
  • Exhibitions
  • Films on Balthus
  • References
  • Bibliography
  • Further reading
  • External links

Balthasar Klossowski (; February 29, 1908 – February 18, 2001), also known as Balthus (), was a Polish-French modern artist. He is known for his erotically charged images of young girls, and the dreamlike quality of his imagery.

Balthus rejected the usual conventions of the art world. Insisting that his paintings must be seen rather then read, he resisted attempts to build a biographical profile. Late in life, he was interviewed by neurobiologist Semir Zeki, in Rossinière, Switzerland and at the Palazzo Farnese in Rome. The interviews were published in 1995 under the title ''La Quête de l'essentiel''. In these conversations, he discussed some of his views on art, painting, and his contemporaries.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Balthus” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (8)