Balthus

(Probably) Henriette Gomes, Paris
Vivian Newbury, Chicago (and sold by the estate: Sotheby's, New York, November 11, 1987, lot 58)
Acquired at the above sale by A. Alfred Taubman

Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Balthus in Chicago, 1980, no. 1 (titled Girl Reclining)
Paris, Musée National d'art moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou & New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Balthus, 1983-84, no. 18, illustrated in the catalogue

Sabine Rewald, ed., Balthus, New York, 1984, fig. 27, illustrated p. 24
Virginie Monnier & Jean Clair, Balthus, Catalogue Raisonné of the Complete Works, Paris, 1999, no. P60, illustrated p. 117
Jean Clair, ed., Balthus, New York, 2001, illustrated p. 200

This work is in overall good condition. The canvas is not lined. There are a few scattered thin stable lines of craquelure, notably in the red pigment of the chair to the right of the figure, and in the figure's face and lower torso. One tiny spot of paint loss in the brown pigment of the chair in lower left quadrant. Under UV light: numerous small strokes of inpainting to address craquelure scattered throughout. One 2-inch line of inpainting to the figure's proper right shoulder, otherwise fine.
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.

The reclining adolescent girl is without question the most iconic motif in Balthus’s oeuvre. In his memoirs, the artist writes, "There is no more exacting discipline than capturing these variations in faces and poses of my daydreaming young girls. The drawing's caress seeks to rediscover a childlike grace that vanishes so quickly, leaving us with an inconsolable memory. The challenge is to track down the sweetness so that graphite on paper can re-create the fresh oval of a face, a shape close to angels' faces" (Balthus, Vanished Splendors, A Memoir, New York, 2002, p. 65).

Antoinette de Watteville was the sister of Robert, a close friend of the artist; she was introduced to Balthus in 1924 when she was still a child. This oil is amongst the artist’s earliest depictions of Antoinette, much admired for her ever-youthful beauty, who sat as model for numerous paintings and drawings. The de Wattevilles were descended from one of the most established aristocratic families in Switzerland, with an esteemed legacy tightly bound with the history of the government of Bern. Balthus’ love for Antoinette was long unrequited. They often wrote to one another, but in 1934 Antoinette accepted the marriage proposal of another man and asked Balthus to stop sending letters. This rejection prompted in Balthus a complete emotional breakdown: he quit painting and attempted suicide. He recovered rapidly however when Antoinette began corresponding with him once more, and indeed went on to marry in 1937. The pair had two children, Thaddeus and Stanislas Klossowski, who later co-authored a book on Balthus in which they published many of their parents’ letters.