Balthus Artwork valuations, appraisals and auction estimates

Balthus, pseudonym of Balthasar Kłossowski de Rola (Paris, 29 February 1908 – Rossinière, 18 February 2001), was a French painter of Polish origin. Balthus' style starts from a classical and academic base; however, even if his technique and compositional style are inspired by those of pre-Renaissance painters, in his works there are also evident references to the style of Giorgio de Chirico. Read the full biography

Balthus, pseudonym of Balthasar Kłossowski de Rola (Paris, 29 February 1908 – Rossinière, 18 February 2001), was a French painter of Polish origin. Balthus' style starts from a classical and academic base; however, even if his technique and compositional style are inspired by those of pre-Renaissance painters, in his works there are also evident references to the style of Giorgio de Chirico. He painted mainly human figures in an era in which figurative art was essentially ignored and neglected. He is now widely recognized as one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Signs of numerous influences can be traced in her work, including the writings of Emily Brontë (in 1934 she illustrated the novel Wuthering Heights with pen drawings on paper), the writings and photographs of Lewis Carroll, the paintings of Masaccio, Piero della Francesca, Simone Martini, Poussin, Jean Etienne Liotard, Joseph Reinhardt, Géricault, Ingres, Goya, Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, Courbet, Edgar Degas, Félix Vallotton and Paul Cézanne. In the musical field his favorite composer was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.