short biography

Balthus (actually Balthasar Klossowski, himself he called Count Balthasar Klossowski de Rola, b 1908, Paris, d 2001, Rossinière / Switzerland) was an outsider, provocateur and one of the great painters of the 20th century. In 1925 he undertakes a trip to Italy with André Gide. In 1933 he illustrated the novel "Wuthering Heights" by the writer Emily Brontë. In 1935 he designs stage sets for Artaud's "Theater of Cruelty". In 1961 he was appointed director of the Académie de France - Villa Medici, Rome by André Malraux, who was also Minister of Culture in France. 1977 he participated at the documenta 6 in Kassel and 1980 at the Venice Biennale. Balthus was the brother of painter and writer Pierre Klossowski, Rainer Maria Rilke was the life companion of his mother.    Painting, drawings, illustrations, set design, poetic-erotic depictions

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group exhibition

Suppose You Are Not

19. Jan 2024 19. Dec 2024
  • 02. Sep 01. Jan 2019
    Balthus Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel
  • 16. Dec 04. Feb 2017
    La Perle ART : CONCEPT Paris
  • 24. Feb 19. Jun
    Balthus Kunstforum Wien
  • 23. May 28. Sep
    Abandon the Parents SMK Statens Museum for Kunst / National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen
  • 18. Aug 04. Nov
    Balthus Museum Ludwig Köln
  • 15. Dec 29. Jan 2000
    Balthus Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Santa Monica