This work was painted in Rome when Balthus, born as Count Balthasar Klossowski de Rola, was director of the Académie de France in the Villa Medici. It is said that Balthus started the work after visiting a Kabuki performance in Japan. This form of theatre features re-enactments of historical events and highlights moral conflicts in the love between man and woman. Because women were forbidden from taking part in these performances, the female roles were played by male actors. This perhaps explains the androgynous appearance of the figure on the right.
Specifications
| Title | The Cardplayers |
|---|---|
| Material and technique | Casein oil and tempera on canvas |
| Object type |
Painting
> Painting
> Two-dimensional object
> Art object
|
| Location | This object is in storage |
| Dimensions |
Height 189 cm Width 226 cm |
|---|---|
| Artists |
Artist:
Balthus
|
| Accession number | 2854 (MK) |
| Credits | Purchased 1975 |
| Department | Modern Art |
| Acquisition date | 1975 |
| Creation date | in 1968-1973 |
| Internal exhibitions |
Kunst van formaat. De collectie XL vanaf de jaren vijftig (2018) |
| External exhibitions |
Raffaello verso Picasso (2012) Derain, Balthus, Giacometti (2017) Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen @ Rijksmuseum (2023) |
| Material | |
| Object | |
| Geographical origin | France > Western Europe > Europe |
All about the artist
Balthus
Parijs 1908 - Rossinière 2001
Balthus, officially Balthasar Klossowski de Rola, was the son of a Polish painter and writer. He spent a large part of his life in Paris, but was also...
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