Balthasar Klossowski de Rola - (1908 - 2001) best known as Balthus, was an esteemed but controversial Polish-French modern artist. Balthus rejected the usual conventions of the art world. He insisted that his paintings should be seen and not read about, and he resisted any attempts made to build a biographical profile. A telegram sent to the Tate Gallery as it prepared for its 1968 retrospective of his works read: NO BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS. BEGIN: BALTHUS IS A PAINTER OF WHOM NOTHING IS KNOWN. NOW LET US LOOK AT THE PICTURES. REGARDS. B. Balthuss style is primarily classical but shows numerous influences, including the writings of Emily Bronte, the writings and photography of Lewis Carroll, and the paintings of Gericault, Ingres, Goya, Courbet, Degas, and Cezanne. Although his technique and compositions were inspired by pre-renaissance painters, there also are eerie intimations of contemporary surrealists. Many of his paintings show young girls in an erotic context. Balthus insisted that his work was not erotic but that it recognized the discomforting facts of childrens sexuality