Vanished Splendors: A Memoir

This Blathus memoir is absolutely beautiful. You feel as if Balthus is sitting right beside you sharing his most personal reflections. He shares not only about his approach to painting but also about many areas he considers to be blessings and difficulties for his life. An intimate and inspiring read. For any young artist or book collector of art this is a must have.

When it comes to twentieth century painters, Balthus is one of the most important and certainly one that stands out from the rest. He is enigmatic and people often misunderstand his paintings. Vanished Splendors is Balthus' memoirs that he was working on at the time of his death. In it he puts forth his philosophy on many subjects such as art, modern art, life, religion, family, love and history. He's known or met most of the important artisians of the last century. Picasso, Camus, Artaud, Monet and more. This is a quick read and gives insight into his world and how he painted (he often took years to finish one canvas). Very enjoyable and informative.