Balthus

Tigrane Matossian, Switzerland (a gift from the artist)

Private Collection (by descent from the above and sold: Christie's, London, February 6, 2007, lot 33)

Acquired at the above sale

Paris, Musée National d'Art Moderne, Balthus, 1983-84, no. 64, illustrated in color in the catalogue

New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Balthus, 1984

Lausanne, Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Balthus, 1993, illustrated in color in the catalogue 

Madrid, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Balthus, 1996

Rome, Accademia Valentino, Omaggio a Balthus, 1996-97, illustrated in the catalogue

Jean Leymarie, Balthus, New York, 1990, p. 142

Claude Roy, Balthus, Paris, 1996, illustrated p. 255

Virginie Monnier & Jean Clair, Balthus, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre complet, Paris, 1999, no. P343, illustrated p. 198

Good condition. Oil on panel with heavy gesso. There is a vertical hairline crack on the right side of the canvas extending from the top of the blue background down towards the basket and another crack from the fruit to the border. The cracks are stabled. Under UV light no evidence of retouching.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Nature Morte is an outstanding example of Balthus’ bold approach to the long-standing traditions of still-life painting. “Real modernity is in the reinvention of the past, in re-found originality based on experience and discoveries” the artist once said (Balthus, quoted in Vanished Splendors A Memoir, New York, 2001, p. 81). The trompe-l'oeil effects of the present composition, rendered on a panel and with a surface that has the textural appearance of a fresco, exemplifies the artist's affinity for the art of the Renaissance.  An avid scholar and enthusiast of Old Masters such as Caravaggio and Poussin, Balthus sought to emulate their style and technique in his own compositions. Philippe de Montebello, former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art observed, "Somewhat like Sassetta in his own time, Balthus stands apart from contemporaneous artistic movements. This deliberate aloofness contributes to the poignancy of his still interiors, solitary figures, and strictly ordered street scenes and landscapes. He is very much an enigma. His oeuvre is a quintessential expression of our age, yet it resists categorization. Indeed, the achievement of Balthus commands its own chapter in the history of twentieth-century art" (Balthus, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1984, pp. 7).