Lot 39
  • 39

Balthus

Estimate
500,000 - 700,000 USD
bidding is closed

Description

  • Balthus
  • Étude pour "La Semaine des quatre jeudis"
  • Signed Bs. and dated 48 (lower left)
  • Oil and charcoal on board
  • 27 ½ by 29 3/4 in.
  • 70 by 75.5 cm
signed Bs. and dated 48 (lower left)
oil and charcoal on board
69.8 by 74.8 cm. (27½ by 29 3/8 in.)
Painted in 1948.

Provenance

Pulzell Collection

Losser Feitelson, Los Angeles

Eric & Salomé Estorick, London

Grosvenor Gallery, London

Private Collection, London

Gagosian Gallery, New York

Acquired from the above in 2010 by the present owner

Literature

Balthus (exhibition catalogue), Centre Pompidou, Musée National d’Art Moderne, Paris, 1983-84, no. 95, illustrated p. 356

Jean Leymarie, "Le dessin de Balthus," Balthus, Museum of Contemporary Art, Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation; Villa Medici, Rome, 1990, illustrated p. 146

Virginie Monnier & Jean Clair, Balthus, Catalogue raisonné of the Complete Works, Paris, no. P179, illustrated p. 152

Condition

The board is stable and is set into a cradled panel. The upper right corner is a little creased and the upper left corner has a small tear and a very minor loss, with associated retouching. Apart from some very small retouching in the upper right of the composition, visible under ultra-violet light, this work is in very good condition.
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.

Catalogue Note

In Étude pour La Semaine des quatre jeudis Balthus depicts his model in an arrangement that he often used to create an impression of languid repose, conceiving, in this case, a young girl who seems to be the epitome of idle contentment. The present work is a study for his iconic painting La Semaine des quatre jeudis. One of a series of four works exploring a similar theme, the title of the painting refers to the French tradition of closing schools on a Thursday; a week of four Thursdays would have been a true luxury. The model for all the paintings in this series was Laurence Bataille who Balthus had met in 1946. In the months preceding the painting Balthus made numerous studies of her that he used both for La Semaine de quatre jeudis and the works of that series as well as the later painting La Chambre (1952-1954). As Sabine Rewald writes, “In Laurence’s recollection, Balthus made innumerable drawings of her reclining figure over many months, requiring her to pose up to five hours at a time in positions she still remembered, thirty years later, as ‘incredibly uncomfortable’” (Sabine Rewald, Balthus: Cats and Girls (exhibition catalogue), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2013, p. 33).  

The present work offers an exceptionally complete study in which Balthus focuses entirely on the figure at the center of the composition, experimenting with the complexities of her posture and the subtle interplay of light and shadow on her body. Combining fluid lines and looser brushwork, Balthus imbues the work with a lively energy creating a freshness and tender warmth that is unique to the study.