Nude in Front of a Mantel

Balthus (Balthasar Klossowski) French

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 955

For Balthus, the female sitter was a lifelong subject— whether daydreaming, reclining, or sleeping, often nude or partly clothed, and typically charged with erotic content. Nude Before a Mirror is striking for the sculptural monumentality of the model and the soft, silvery light that bathes the figure and fills the room. The model’s hieratic pose evokes figures in an ancient Egyptian frieze.

#4825. Nude Before a Mirror

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Nude in Front of a Mantel, Balthus (Balthasar Klossowski) (French, Paris 1908–2001 Rossinière), Oil on canvas

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Nude in Front of a Mantel, Balthus (Balthasar Klossowski) (French, Paris 1908–2001 Rossinière), Oil on canvas
Nude in Front of a Mantel, Balthus (Balthasar Klossowski) (French, Paris 1908–2001 Rossinière), Oil on canvas
Nude in Front of a Mantel, Balthus (Balthasar Klossowski) (French, Paris 1908–2001 Rossinière), Oil on canvas
Nude in Front of a Mantel, Balthus (Balthasar Klossowski) (French, Paris 1908–2001 Rossinière), Oil on canvas

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