The catalogue, written by sabine rewald, a specialist in the artists work, is a. The metropolitan museum of art in new york city is a living encyclopedia of world art. Cultures from every part of the world from florence to thebes, from pennsylvania to papua, new guinea from the ancient world to the present, and in every medium, are represented, frequently at the highest levels of quality. Cats and girls is the first book devoted to this subject, focusing on the early. Cats and girls is the first book devoted to this subject, focusing on the early decades of the artists career from the mid1930s to the 1950s. Paintings of cats and girls by balthus, and poetry and prose about cats from the. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Oil on heavy cardboard mounted on wood, 98 x 79 cm. Cats and girls exhibition catalogue, the metropolitan museum of art, new york, 20, fig. Closed thanksgiving day, december 25, january 1 and the first monday in may. Balthus bio, reissued for met retrospective, documents artists. The met presents more than 5,000 years of art from every corner of the world. The metropolitan museum of art is the largest museum in the western hemisphere and the worlds most encyclopedic art museum under one roof.
The metropolitan museum of art will not remove a controversial painting by the french painter known as balthus from public display. Founded in 1870, the metropolitan museum of art is located in new york citys central park, along fifth avenue. The last studies at gagosian madison avenue, new york. The exhibition is jointly organised with the fondation beyeler in riehen basel, where it will be seen from september 2018 to january 2019. Exhibition catalog for a show that ran november 5, 1983 through january 23, 1984 in paris and then february 29 through may, 1984 at the metropolitan museum of art. The last studies at gagosian new york at the time of the metropolitan museums retrospective balthus. Metpublications is a portal to the mets comprehensive book and online publishing program with close. Balthus was a french painter known for his dreamlike depictions of eroticized pubescent girls. Accompanying an exhibition at new york citys metropolitan museum of art that opens in september 20, this captivating catalogue focuses. Accompanying an exhibition at new york citys metropolitan museum of art that opens in september 20, this captivating catalogue focuses on french painter balthus aka balthasar klossowski. He is known for his erotically charged images of pubescent girls, but also for the refined, dreamlike quality of his imagery. Paintings of cats and girls by balthus, and poetry and prose about cats from the new yorker. Only once did i paint a picture as a means of provocation, in 1934, when galerie pierre displayed my paintings alice, the street, and cathys washing and dressing.
A major retrospective overseen by the artists wife, ideta setsuko, was held in. A new york city woman has started a petition to ask the metropolitan museum of art to remove a balthus painting the painting, mia merrill argues, depicts a young girl in a. Explore books on art, fashion, new york city, and more, and bring the beauty of the met museum to your bookshelf. Balthus at the metropolitan museum of art new york. New yorker blog this choice selection of works proves that balthus never forgot what he had discovered as an 11yearold. A singular and provocative exhibition of balthuss work at the metropolitan museum of art in new york reflects not only his trademark preoccupation with young girls, but also a less well. Cats and girls and the big new yorker book of cats the. Metropolitan museum of art fifth avenue new york, new york 10028 212 5357710. The metropolitan museum of art, jacques and natasha gelman collection, 1998 1999. At age sixteen, balthus decided to become a painter, seeking the advice of french artists such as pierre bonnard and maurice denis. It was part of an exhibition that ran from june to november that year. Balthus metpublications the metropolitan museum of art. Moral conundrums and political passions the new yorker. Cats and girls paintings and provocations exhibition in new york september 23, 20.
This book was published to accompany an exhibition at the metropolitan museum of art, new york, entitled, balthus. Cats and girls paintings and provocations in late september 20. Find an indepth biography, exhibitions, original artworks for sale, the latest news, and sold auction prices. Paintings and provocations, the thematic survey of early paintings at the metropolitan museum of art, new york that opens to the public on september 25.
Metropolitan museum defends balthus painting after. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on javascript in your browser. Balthuss lifelong curiosity with the ambiguities and dark side of childhood resulted in his bestknown and most iconic works. Balthus was not a provocateur by design, at least, not by his own reckoning. Exhibition catalog for a show that ran november 5, 1983 through january 23, 1984 in paris and then february 29 through may. Metpublications is a portal to the mets comprehensive book and online. In that catalogue i misidentified the mountain guides face as that of christian heumann in kanton freiburg ibid. Founded in 1870, its permanent collection, housed in 17 curatorial departments, comprises more than 2 million works of art spanning 5,000 years of world culture, from prehistory to the present. How despair and momentary pleasures could be enlarged into material for art.
In new york, a controversy is opening up about a 1938 painting the citys metropolitan museum of art. Balthus, courtesy of the metropolitan museum of artrobert lehman foundation. See available works on paper, prints and multiples, and paintings for sale and learn about the artist. Centre georges pompidou metropolitan museum of art new york, n. Jed perl, the new republic about the author sabine rewald is jacques and natasha gelman curator, department of modern and contemporary art, the metropolitan museum of art. These paintings are the subject of an exhibition at the metropolitan museum of art running through jan. Though not part of any major school, balthus has steadily gained recognition over the past twenty years, especially after an important exhibition of his work at the metropolitan museum of art in new york in 1984. Drawing on extensive knowledge of the artists life and work, as well as on interviews with balthus and the models themselves, sabine rewald explores the origins and permutations of balthus. New york city new yorks metropolitan museum of art is refusing to remove a controversial 80yearold painting of a young girl from display, despite an online petition against the work gaining. A petition to cease displaying a provocative painting by a major artist on the walls of new york s metropolitan museum has struck a. Judith thurman began contributing to the new yorker in 1987 and became a staff writer in 2000. The metropolitan museum of art the artist project what artists see when they look at the met.
Paintings and provocations at the metropolitan museum of art september 25, 20 january 12, 2014 was the first u. These bright, compact hardcovers introduce young readers and their parents to six visual building blockslines, shapes, colors, people, places and storiesvia an assortment of the great masterpieces of twentieth century art. New yorks met museum refuses to remove balthus painting. An insightful new look at balthuss ongoing fascination with cats and girls. Balthus cats and girls at the metropolitan museum of youtube. As suggested by the title of the exhibition, readers should be aware that some of the painting may well be challenging for a modern audience. She curated his last museum retrospective in new york, which was also. New york woman starts petition to take down balthus. Published by the metropolitan museum of artdistributed by yale university press. Merrill is the author of a recent petition to convince new yorks metropolitan museum of art to either remove the painting from gallery 907. First published by knopf in 1999, the book is being reissued by dalkey. The metropolitan museum of art has a battle on its hands, all over the attached photo of the painting titled therese revant by french painter balthus. In the catalogue of the metropolitan museum of arts 1984 balthus exhibition, she was described as the daughter of a cantor from kovelitz in novgorod in the russian empire.
This book presents over 250 of the finest masterpieces in the metropolitans. The subtitle of the splendid exhibition of works by balthus at the metropolitan museum of art is really a misnomer. His work has been the subject of two major exhibitions at the metropolitan museum of art, new york. Author philip yenawine, the longtime director of education at the museum of modern art, is. Balthus bio, reissued for met retrospective, documents. Rather strange, even refreshing new york times the portraits on display are masterpieces of troubling beauty painted in a style that balthus called timeless realism. This intimate exhibition also brings to light key continuities and correspondences between images throughout balthuss oeuvre, providing a resonant counterpoint to balthus. Balthus, paris, january 14february 28, 2015 gagosian.