Balthus (Balthasar Klossowski de Rola) Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
French, 1908-2001
Balthus was born on 29 February 1908 into a cosmopolitan family; his father was of Prussian and Polish origin and his mother, Elsa Dorothea Spiro, nicknamed Baladine, was of Ashkenazi and Russian descent. At the beginning of the war, his family took refuge in Switzerland, where he stayed with his mother while his parents separated. In 1919, his mother met the poet Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926) who became her lover; Balthus (the nickname of the painter from which he chose his artist's name) was brought up in the artistic milieu of his mother's friends. Balthus moved to Paris with his mother in 1924. He enrolled at the Grande Chaumière academy and frequented Pierre Bonnard's studio. In 1926, he travelled to Italy where he discovered the frescoes of Piero della Francesca and Masaccio, which had a lasting influence on his art. Influenced by the surrealists, he held his first solo exhibition in 1934. Alongside his paintings, which were increasingly successful, he created several theatre, ballet and opera sets, an activity he continued after the war. In 1938, he held his first exhibition in New York.
He married Antoinette de Watteville (1912-1997) in 1937 and the couple settled during the war first in Champrovent in Savoie, then in Fribourg in Switzerland where two of their sons were born and finally in Cologny near Geneva from 1942 onwards. In 1945 the couple separated and Balthus returned to Paris. In 1953, Balthus, then aged 45, decided to move to the Château de Chassy in the Morvan region. He was soon joined there by his niece by marriage (the daughter of his brother Pierre Klossowski's wife from her first marriage), Frédérique Tison, who became his muse and mistress. At Chassy, facing the landscapes of the Morvan, in the immense space of the house, Balthus worked and created a huge number of works. His painting evolved to become closer to the fresco, in the manner of the Italian Renaissance masters. Frédérique Tison accompanied Balthus to Rome when he was appointed Director of the Villa Medici by André Malraux in 1961. When they finally broke up in 1966, Balthus gave her Chassy where she settled. In 1962, during a trip to Japan, Balthus met Setsuko Ideta. She became his wife in 1967. In 1977, at the end of their time in Rome, they settled in a large chalet in Rossinière (Switzerland) where the painter lived until his death on 18 February 2001.to
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Artist: Balthus (Balthasar Klossowski de Rola)
Study for "Getting up" – 1955, a preparatory drawing by Balthus (1908 -2001)
By Balthus (Balthasar Klossowski de Rola)
Located in PARIS, FR
In 1955, as he was residing at the Château de Chassy in the Morvan for two years, Balthus created a large painting entitled "Getting up". Balthus was inspired for this painting by t...
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1950s Modern Balthus (Balthasar Klossowski de Rola) Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Pencil
Study for « Paysage de Fribourg » - 1943 a drawing by Balthus (1908 - 2001)
By Balthus (Balthasar Klossowski de Rola)
Located in PARIS, FR
Provenance: Frédérique Tison, Château de Chassy (Burgundy-Franche Comté - France)
Bibliography: J. Clair, V. Monnier Balthus, catalogue raisonné of the complete works, Gallimard, Pa...
Category
1940s Modern Balthus (Balthasar Klossowski de Rola) Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Pencil
Study For Three Sisters - Figurative Mixed Media Drawing on Paper, 1954
By Balthus (Balthasar Klossowski de Rola)
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"Study for Three Sisters," a 1954 mixed media drawing by Balthus, offers an intimate glimpse into the artist's preliminary creative process. Executed in pencil with subtle blue water...
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Mid-20th Century Impressionist Balthus (Balthasar Klossowski de Rola) Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Mixed Media
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Find a wide variety of authentic Balthus (Balthasar Klossowski de Rola) drawings and watercolor paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Balthus (Balthasar Klossowski de Rola) in paper, pencil, ink and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large Balthus (Balthasar Klossowski de Rola) drawings and watercolor paintings, so small editions measuring 17 inches across are available. Balthus (Balthasar Klossowski de Rola) drawings and watercolor paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $16,800 and tops out at $27,000, while the average work can sell for $21,000.






