Balthus Quotes | Beyond Motive

Balthus, the French artist, was a provocative and enigmatic figure in the world of 20th-century art, known for his highly stylized and often controversial paintings of adolescent girls in ambiguous and unsettling settings. Despite his reputation for controversy, Balthus' work is admired for its technical skill, psychological depth, and haunting beauty. His paintings continue to captivate viewers with their mysterious atmosphere and their exploration of themes such as innocence, desire, and the passage of time, leaving an indelible mark on the history of modern art.

"I will always find even the worst paintings that attempt some kind of representation better than the best invented paintings."

Will,

"Painting is a source of endless pleasure, but also of great anguish."

Painting, Pleasure

"I always feel the desire to look for the extraordinary in ordinary things; to suggest, not to impose, to leave always a slight touch of mystery in my paintings."

Desire, Mystery

"One must always draw, draw with the eyes, when one cannot draw with a pencil."

Art, Eyes

"Painting is the passage from the chaos of the emotions to the order of the possible."

Chaos, Emotions, Order, Painting

"Painting what I experience, translating what I feel, is like a great liberation. But it is also work, self-examination, consciousness, criticism, struggle."

Experience, Work, Consciousness, Criticism

"The craft of painting has virtually disappeared. There is hardly anyone left who really possesses it. For evidence one has only to look at the painters of this century."

Painting,