BALTHASAR KLOSSOWSKI DE ROLA (BALTHUS) 1908 2001

His first exhibition, held t the ! llerie "ierre, " ris in #$%&, in'l(ded onl) fi*e l r+e , intin+s b(t their eroti' nd dist(rbin+ 'h r 'ter ' (sed s' nd l- Ril.e (his /other B l dine0s lo*er) noted his ,re'o'it) nd 'oll bor ted 1ith hi/ on Mitsou, t le bo(t bo) nd his ' t 1hen B lth s r 1 s onl) fo(rteen- It 1 s Ril.e 1ho s(++ested the ,se(don)/ B lth(sHis /ost end(rin+ nd eni+/ ti' s(b2e't 1 s the interior 1ith doles'ent +irls on the threshold of sex( l 1 .enin+- A 'on*in'ed fi+(r ti*e rtist o,,osed to ll for/s of bstr 'tion, his dr (+hts/ nshi, is in'isi*e nd of +re t ,re'ision- He ,rod('ed , intin+s 1ith str n+e, l/ost dre /li.e t/os,here, of, in , rti'(l r, doles'ent +irls ' (+ht slee,in+ or in e3(i*o' l ,ri* te /o/ents h lf1 ) bet1een inno'en'e nd ,er*ersit)- In The Guitar Lesson (#$%&) ,re,(bes'ent +irl, her lo1er bod) ex,osed, lies fro4en in fri+ht 'ross the l , of ,red tor) fe/ le /(si' te 'herB lth(s l /ented the loss of 'r ft /on+ his 'onte/,or ries- He de,lored the f 't th t , intin+ so often be' /e n o'' sion for dis'(ssion, 1hile for hi/ it re/ ined irred('ible to n) l n+( +e- 5or/ l 'on'erns, orn /ent tion nd s(rf 'e effe'ts be' /e his ,riorities in n extensi*e series of li+ht6filled interiors nd serene l nds' ,es, /ostl) *ie1s fro/ the * rio(s 1indo1s of the 7h te ( de 7h ss) to 1hi'h he h d /o*ed in #$8%- He be' /e dire'tor of the 5ren'h A' de/) t the 9ill :edi'i in Ro/e in #$;#, ,,ointed b) his friend Andre : lr (x, then 5ren'h :inister for 7(lt(re- He died on 5ebr( r) #<, =>>#, in Rossiniere, S1it4erl nd, (in 'h te ( for/erl) o1ned b) B)ron) #> d )s before his $%rd birthd )-

The B lth(s S(ite

Al n ! r*e)

!irl nd 7 t
E)es n rro1ed, h nds 'l s,ed behind her he d, left le+ flexed? she offers (, the (n)ieldin+ fr /e of her sex- In her he rt she .ne1 it 1o(ld 'o/e to thisI 1o(ld ne*er .ee, th t ,ro/ise nd she .no1s ll bo(t /) liesShe .no1s the 1ords I0ll (se li.e, @All beauty must die-0 So ,redi't ble, li.e the .nife I ,l 'e on the .it'hen t bleTo/orro1 this 1ill be ne1s ll o*er to1n- B(t toni+ht she0s free to 'hoose, free to for+i*e /e her fin l ho(rA sh do1 f lls fro/ /) f 'e 1hen I re lise her ,o1er nd .no1 I /(st let her +o!oA Slither thro(+h the 1indo1 s,r(n+ s n (nto('hed tr ,, 'ert in )o(0ll l nd on )o(r feetBo(r se'ret is s fe 1ith the ' t-

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7ontents
!olden D )s The !(it r Lesson The White S.irt Re'linin+ D(de 7 th)0s Toilette !irl nd 7 t #> ## #= #& C $

st(ffed 1ith s)ntheti' fibres, r/s l1 )s 1 itin+ for his /istress to ind(l+e 1hi/He h s no roots 1itho(t her nd t1ines s i*) ro(nd the entr n'e 'ol(/ns of n or 'le bl '.er th n n) so(l ' n beThis *ine0s le *es d r.en 1ith +e, tendrils .not in e*er) 're*i'e nd slotE the) thi'.en 1ith l(st in their ' +eIn this f din+ li+ht he .no1s he ' n0t t .e n) /ore ris.s 1ith her tr(st, b(t 'ert in, still, there0s nothin+ she l '.s, li.e the robe 'o*erin+ 1elts on her b '.-

7 th)0s Toilette
Their 1indo1s be r the /ottled d(st of )e rs 'r dled b) r in dribblin+ do1n he *) s te rsThe) loo. o(t to the o'to,i of bri rs, soiled t n+le of r +s thro1n o(tsideD /, s,e'.les the 1 ll bl '. beside the 1 rdrobe , '.ed 1ith (seless s(//er 'lothesOthers re h(n+ on the floorHe needs to t l. b(t there0s bi++er /irror th n before th t o''(,ies her ttentionHer /other0s here, br(shin+ his lo*er0s h ir the s /e 1 ) she n +s t his slee*e, 1hettin+ his ,,etite 1ith little 1his,ers bo(t little +irls she0s been 1ith nd /etAnd ho1e*er he ,l(+s his e rs the teddies he0s obli+ed to b() for her ,le d nd ,le d 1ith hi/, Sleep with us. Snu le into our !ur" we#re s$ared o! the $old and mould. !l ss) nd d r., he sees hi/self in their e)es,

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:) sin is be)ond ll /e s(re Be' (se of the lo*e I + *e her%atri$& Gal'in" An (aisidea$h )*n Sin'e then, t n (n'ert in ho(r, Th t +on) ret(rnsE And till /) +h stl) t le is told, This he rt 1ithin /e b(rnsS.T. (olerid e" The +ime o! the An$ient Mariner

by the $ommonest o! $ows. So why !lood my days by pullin the drapes to su$h rey as this.hy ma&e up and arran e my hair (she sl(/,s nd (nb(ttons her blo(se) or $hoose the span led shoes to wear-

The White S.irt

Ho1 he h(++ed nd n(44led 1hen his r 4ored 'hee.s do*e in nd o(t of her thi+hsA Her le+s 'ross t the tho(+htHer s.irt she t(+s s/ooth t the .nee- 5or /onths she0s th(/bed the 1e *e t her hi,s, 1here li,s t1ittered nd ti'.ledHis nostrils fl red dee,est in sil., t1o ,(,ils 1ho lo*ed le rnin+ the / the/ ti's of /(s.She 1his,ers, ,#m no washday white or poa$her#s tus& but mother#s mil& !or him who#s always ea er to be mil&ed

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!olden D )s
A blo(se dri,s fro/ her ,or'el in sho(lder s if she sli,,ed nd ,,lied too /('hDo / tter- A 3(i'. stro.e nd it0s +oneThere- Her flesh is re d) to to('hShe0s h ,,) d/ittin+ herself nd do(ble ro1 of ,e rls into the sli/, 1hite h nd6/irror, bo rd ,retend bo t 1here she tr ils her h nd nd foot, her e)es in 'ool 1 tersShe sends hi/ letters filled 1ith .isses fro/ her s'hool des., nd 1ishes she 'o(ld fold herself into the en*elo,e, be deli*ered to hi/? she belie*es be)ond ho,eShe s1e rs on 'offin in the to1n s3( re nd re ds letters ,ro'l i/in+ her lo*e thereShe belie*es in 1ords, ho1 the) ' r*e trees 1ith I6lo*e6)o( initi ls nd lin+er o*er * lle)s 1here .isses sti'. nd b '.s /o(ld the he th-

She h s her fill of dre /s- She de/ nds belief nd 1 nts to 1 .e (, to rin+s on her fin+ers, f ir)t le , l 'e, f(ll t(//) s so/ebod)0s 1ifeShe 1 nts hi/ to st ) h rd s n il dri*en into her tr(n., + rl nds of l (rel le *es h(n+ fro/ hi/ for , ssers6b) to ,l('. nd 'he1" (se 1hile nd d/ire her *ie1He feeds the fire nd .neels to s *o(r the s1eet odo(r of +hosts, his b '. t(rned to the 1 ll 1here sh do1s 1 *er nd 'l 1E , rents, friends, 'on'erned 'iti4ens ll5l /es , int hi/ l'he/ist0s +old? his 1 ist nd 'hest, the shen +r te of his s.(llHis br in s, r.s, t(rns sh r, s s' l,el to re*e l ho,e in the '(r*e of her 'hee.s, / +i' in the n+le hollo1ed b) her .nee, ho1 she folds s, 'e 1ith s'r(n'hed (, noseIt infl /es hi/, blood s,ots his f 'eIt dr 1s hi/ to her le+s- Ho1 he sh .esA If onl) he 1ere ins(bst nti l s s/o.e he0d / , the 1 )s of her blood- He 1o(ld. This is the root of it, +re) nd , le s t(ber'(losisA test of hono(r, is he / n or lo(seF Silen'e 1ee,s 1hile s(rro(ndin+ ir + s,s for relief fro/ these solit(desE 'h fli'.er of li+ht, e 'h s, r. fro/ the fire fills this + ,in+ *oidHere the) re, inse, r ble s in lo'.etThe) r(sh fro/ )o(r 1orld, +reen li/bs on ri*er +(shin+ its floodHe ' n0t 1 it to +et his h nds dirt), for her to f ll into his fin+er6ti,s lost in l b)rinth of 1horlsHe h s /('h to s/ile bo(tC

He h s s.ed her to ,ose nd dissol*es bet1een her le+s s 1 fered Host on her ton+(eShe s )s the)0re /e nt for e 'h other/allelu0ah" to be blessed so youn 1 He thro1s nother lo+ the fire s,its 1ith hissAfter ll, it 1 s he bre thed it li*e 1ith .iss-

<

The !(it r Lesson

:other does thin+s (to/ ti' ll)So/eti/es her e)es h lf6'lose li.e n inf nt d(rin+ feedShe ' n0t hel, b(t to('h, lo*es to r(n her h nds thro(+h /) h irI do not .no1 1h t she needsShe dre /s herself (nder1 ter nd b(bbles e/er+e fro/ her /o(thOften it0s t nothin+ she sho(ts b(t she0s f(rio(s /) +(it r0s o(t of t(ne:) 'hords re ll 1ron+, strin+s re too loose:other loo.s for /) strin+s to ,l('. b(t the)0re * nished, * nished to her2our heart#s made o! wood, she s )s, your le s are too lon !or your so$&sShe0d 'ho.e on the .e) to /) bo(doir0s lo'.-

:) bod)0s be'o/e li.e so(nd box, '(r*ed nd sn(+, t ho/e in his l ,He .no1s ho1 to hold /e b) the ne'., his fin+ers r(n (, nd do1n /) fretsHo1 he sin+s in ,r ise of e/,tinessA I feel his l(n+s o,en t /) b '.-

Re'linin+ D(de
Her e)es re /i'e th t sli, do1n slee*e to her h nd 1hi'h +ri,s the 'h ir s if she 1ills herself to le*it te fro/ the se t nd resol*e herself in irLoo. here- The lines I s'r bble +i*e her sh ,e nd for/, s(bst n'e of her *er) o1nHere she0s /ore th n flesh nd boneI h n+ fro/ her 1rist, d n+le loose s thre d on the shirt she 1e rsShe ' n be so 'old, fro/ the i') slo,es of her 'hest to r *ines bet1een her toes 1here I 'r(/,le, /ess of te rs nd s1e t, 1hen she t(rns fro/ /) 'i+ rette bre th-

(/) shirt on her is sno1f ll0s 'ris, ex, nse dr 1n o*er foot,rints, the / r.s of h nds)

## Her e)es (, to he *en, his do1n belo1? he foresees hi/self tor'hed nd in shes, s1e,t into 'orners the /ost insi+nifi' nt d(stA She0s so (nre l, +host, dre / he ' nnot brin+ hi/self to to('hIt t .es ll he h s to st ) on his feet nd .ee, fro/ bet1een his le+s 1ith .nife, his f 'e 2 //ed in the ,illo1s, /o(th f(ll of sheetsDo1 the le *es re +one he sees ho1 trees str(++le des,er tel) to 'l 1 1 ) o(t of their tr(n.sHe ,referred the/ rot(nd, 'lothed in r(sset nd bro1n,

1his,erin+ nd ,r )erf(l s /on.sAll his ,r )ers nd intentions h *e been bl sted to the +ro(ndHer l shes / ddened hi/ to / dri+ ls in her hono(r (of ll th t is seen nd (nseen), h)/ns th t s id she 1 s llHo1 lon+ h s tr(th been (nder his noseF He0s no S /son b(t her le+s re loose /e made them so be!ore the !all.

5irst ,(blished G(ne =>>& Set in #>-8 H #< ,t ! r /ond The /or l ri+ht of the (thor is sserted Do , rt of this ,(bli' tion / ) be re,rod('ed 1itho(t ,rior ,er/ission If )o( h *e n) 'o//ents or 3(eries e/ il horn,ressIhot/ il-'o/ Use the se r'h en+ine 111- rt')'lo,edi -'o/ to *ie1 the , intin+s referred to in The )althus Suite B) the s /e (thor 3ear .hoe'er The 3e'il and the 3eep )lue Sea

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Horn "ress 8 e(ro

The B lth(s S(ite

Al n

! r*e)