Balthus: A Biography

A reprint of the 1999 edition, this able biography of Balthus details the life of one of the most elusive and enigmatic painters of our time, whose brilliantly rendered, markedly sexualized portraits, especially of young girls, are among the most unforgettable images of his century. Weber gives Balthus his due, despite the fact that Balthus’s life has been shrouded by contradiction and hearsay, most of it his own invention. He created for himself a persona of mystery and aristocracy (he called himself the Count Balthus Klossowski de Rola). The seven canvases of his first exhibition drew attention to his extraordinary technique but one picture was so powerful in its sadomasochistic imagery that it was deemed necessary to remove it from public display. Weber clarifies Balthus’s complexities through interviews, and Weber also interviews the painter’s closest friends, members of his family, and many of the subjects of his controversial canvases. Weber analyzes the paintings in terms of both their aesthetic achievement and what they reveal of their maker’s psyche. Annotation ©2014 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)