artcritical Roundtable Debates Balthus Exhibition at the Met
An email roundtable organized by artcritical brought together seven contributors to discuss the exhibition 'Balthus: Cats and Girls' at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which runs until January 12, 2014. The participants were Duncan Hannah, Dennis Kardon, David Carbone, Christina Kee, Vincent Katz, and Nora Griffin, with David Cohen serving as the moderator. The dialogue explored whether Balthus's art is naive or skillful, emphasizing themes of isolation as noted by Kardon. Works examined included Thérèse (1938), The Victim (1939-46), and The Guitar Lesson. Concerns about adolescent sexuality were raised by Kee, while Carbone critiqued curator Sabine Rewald's biographical focus. The conversation wrapped up with thoughts on Balthus's distinctiveness and the ongoing significance of painting.
Key facts
- The roundtable discussed the exhibition 'Balthus: Cats and Girls' at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- The exhibition was on view through January 12, 2014.
- Participants included Duncan Hannah, Dennis Kardon, David Carbone, Christina Kee, Vincent Katz, Nora Griffin, and David Cohen.
- Debates focused on Balthus's mastery versus naïveté and his technical approach.
- Comparisons were made to René Magritte's concurrent exhibition at MoMA.
- Balthus's upbringing involved parents who were painters and art historians, with connections to Pierre Bonnard and Andre Derain.
- Specific paintings analyzed included Thérèse (1938) and The Victim (1939-46).
- Christina Kee expressed discomfort with Balthus's treatment of adolescent sexuality.
Entities
Artists
- Balthus
- Duncan Hannah
- Dennis Kardon
- David Carbone
- Christina Kee
- Vincent Katz
- Nora Griffin
- David Cohen
- Pierre Bonnard
- Andre Derain
- Erich Klossowski
- Julius Meier-Graefe
- René Magritte
- John Currin
- Rodrigo Moynihan
- Philip Pearlstein
- Gabriel Laderman
- Max Beckmann
- Otto Dix
- Henry Darger
- Lucian Freud
- Robert Mapplethorpe
- Andres Serrano
- Henry Fuseli
- Édouard Manet
- Francis Bacon
- Lewis Carroll
- Sally Mann
- Setsuko
- Wols
- Lenor Fini
- Pablo Picasso
- Georges Braque
- Joan Miró
- Salvador Dalí
- Francis Picabia
- Gustave Courbet
- Piero della Francesca
- Jean-Antoine Watteau
- Alain-Fournier
- William Faulkner
- Vladimir Nabokov
- Dante
- Rainer Maria Rilke
- Henri Matisse
- Igor Stravinsky
- Honoré Daumier
- Max Ernst
- Gwen John
- Walter Sickert
- Laurence Bataille
- Sabine Rewald
Institutions
- artcritical
- The Review Panel
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Villa de Medici
- French Academy in Rome
- MoMA
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Studio School
- Hirshhorn Museum
- Tate
- Detroit Institute of Arts
Locations
- New York City
- United States
- Rome
- Italy
- San Sepolcro
- France
- Chassy
- UK
- England
- Russia
- Monreale