Balthus has been dubbed the Freud of Painting for his provocative paintings of young adolescent girls. Born on February 29, 1908, he was a renowned Polish-French artist, his works have stirred up controversy and debate over the years with some labeling them as pedophilic and inappropriate, while others defending them as artistic expressions of beauty and innocence. Some of his more explicit paintings featuring young adolescent girls has led many to question Balthus's intentions as an artist with such sexually charged paintings. Was he a pedophile, as many have accused him of being, or was he simply examining the perspectives of young adolescence and the complexities of growing up?
Firstly, it is important to understand that Balthus was painting during a time where the art world was undergoing a profound shift. The emergence of surrealism and abstract expressionism challenged traditional forms of artistic expression, leading many painters to experiment with new and controversial styles to stand out in a crowded artistic space. Balthus, too, was grappling with how to stand out and make an impact. His solution: exploring adolescence and the complex relationships between young girls and their surroundings. Balthus's works, such as "The Guitar Lesson" or "Therese Dreaming," focus on young adolescent girls, often in stated states of undress and in sexually provocative positions. For me, “The Guitar Lesson” is by far his most disturbing of his paintings and the one I will focus on in this blog post.
Balthus' painting "The Guitar Lesson" depicts a young girl, experts believe she was around 10 years old, sitting in a chair with a middle-aged woman who is seemingly the guitar teacher. The teacher is modeled after Balthus’s own mother. In the painting the teacher’s hands are positioned near the girl's genital area, which is in full exposed to the viewer. The girl appears to be looking down, possibly in discomfort or shame, or perhaps in a state of sexual excitement and anticipation. The teacher is pulling on the young girls hair, meanwhile the young girl is pinching the exposed nipple of the teacher’s breast. Most have interpreted the Guitar Lesson as a painting exploring sexual abuse or grooming, particularly given the power dynamic between the teacher and the young girl. The painting immediately was considered highly controversial due to its suggestive and potentially exploitative nature. Balthus himself never offered a clear explanation of the painting's meaning, and it remains open to interpretation, although it seems pretty clear cut to me. Regardless of its intended meaning, "The Guitar Lesson" remains a highly controversial and provocative work of art that raises important questions about the depiction of children in art and the responsibility of artists to consider the implications of their work.
The first showing of this piece was in the Galerie Pierre in Paris in 1934. It was placed behind a curtain and only shown to “privileged” visitors. It was treated like a peep show and was only displayed in this way for 15 days. In 1938, the painting was purchased by James Thrall Soby, who had intended on displaying the Guitar Lesson, along with his other owned artwork, but after the museum opted to keep the painting in its vaults rather than on display due to its controversial nature, Soby decided to sell the painting. In 1945, art collector James Soby exchanged the painting with Chilean artist Roberto Matta Echaurren. Echaurren's wife later left him and married Pierre Matisse, the youngest son of Henri Matisse. Pierre owned a gallery in New York, where the painting stayed in the vaults until 1977. That year, the painting was displayed for one month at the gallery. The painting caused a media sensation, with newspapers reporting that the painting was too shocking to show their readers. After the month, the painting was never displayed again.
The painting was then donated to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, but the museum kept it in their vaults. In 1982, Blanchette Rockefeller saw the painting at a private presentation of works donated to the MoMA by Pierre Matisse. She was so appalled by the painting that she demanded that it be given back. The painting was sold a few times after that, and it eventually ended up in the possession of Stavros Niarchos. Niarchos apparently kept the painting in an elaborately paneled bedroom. After Niarchos' death in 1996, the painting has remained in the possession of his heirs.
Even though the painting has only ever been displayed twice, it is still a controversial work of art. Some people find it to be shocking and offensive, while others find it to be contemplative and thought-provoking. Thanks to the internet, anyone can now see the painting, and it continues to spark debate and discussion. Judith Thurman, a staff writer for The New Yorker wrote on Balthus the following: “There is a subtext of violation to these images, and the viewer becomes complicit with it. Take the high ground if you prefer, though none of the models, or their parents, ever accused Balthus of impropriety. The impropriety—timeless and realistic—was in his imagination. But you owe it to the art to examine the nuances of your discomfort. That’s where his genius lies.”
Understanding the motives of Balthus and his paintings of adolescent girls requires careful consideration and nuance. While some have accused him of being a pedophile, his own words and interpretations of his work suggest that his intentions were not to sexualize young adolescents, but rather to explore the complexity of the human experience during this tumultuous time. The questions raised by his paintings continue to reverberate in the artistic world, reminding us of the power that art holds to provoke, inspire, and challenge our beliefs. What do you think of the controversial Balthus? Leave your comments below.
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