orig. Balthazar Klossowski
born Feb. 29, 1908, Paris, Fr.
died Feb. 18, 2001, La Rossinière, Switz.
French painter.
Born in Paris to Polish parents, he was considered a child prodigy and was encouraged by family friends including Pierre Bonnard , André Derain , and Rainer Maria Rilke . Without formal training, he supported himself through commissions for stage sets and portraits. He had his first one-man show in 1934. In the midst of 20th-century avant-gardism, he explored the traditional categories of European painting: the landscape, the still life, the subject painting, and the portrait. He presented ordinary moments of contemporary life on a grand scale and utilized traditional, Old Master painting techniques. Balthus is best known for his controversial depictions of adolescent girls. His disturbing and erotic images and his carefully cultivated persona made him an international cult figure. From 1961 to 1977 he served as director of the French Academy in Rome.