The Painter's House Balthus at the Grand Chalet

The erotic, sensual paintings of Balthus, one of the most enigmatic and poetic figures in twentieth-century art, have commanded a cult following, much like the artist himself, who has fended off all outside intrusions into his private life. In the late 1970s, the aging master finally settled down in the Grand Chalet at Rossiniere, a magnificent timber house built in the eighteenth century, and situated 3000 feet above sea level in the Swiss province of Gruyere. Although the house and its occupants have always remained off limits to media and public alike, the ban was lifted for Japanese photographer Kishin Shinoyama, who was not only allowed to photograph the Grand Chalet, its rooms, and the family life taking place there, but was also admitted into Balthus's studio, his sanctum sanctorum, located in a roomy exterior building. This selection of small, exquisitely produced photographs, with an accompanying essay by German documentarist Gero von Boehm, offers a unique glimpse into Balthus's private and creative life. Intimate portraits of the artist at work and breathtaking images of the mountainous landscape are interspersed with reproductions of Balthus's marvelous paintings. A lovely gift for artists and any of Balthus's numerous admirers, this handsomely produced volume is as elegant and serene as the world Balthus has created both on canvas and at home. The elegant packaging and beautiful photography make this a "lifestyle" book as well as an appreciation of one of modern art's most enigmatic painters.