Balthus, the pseudonym of Count Balthazar Klossowski of Rola, is a living legend. Creator of an internationally renowned body of work, he himself remains largely unknown.
Considered to be one of the last representatives of the classical tradition, as well as one of the most important and original painters of our time, until now, he had rarely agreed to mix his life and work. Balthus is a painter we know nothing about; and now look at his paintings, he wrote in  1968 for an art critic who had requested biographical notes for a catalogue.
These interviews, granted to the Italian journalist and writer Costanzo Costantini have been taking place from 1989 to the present day; they constitute an exceptional document. They deal not only with his work, but also his life, ideas and friends, and the great artists of the 20th century, from  Bonnard to Matisse, Picasso to Braque, Derain to Miró, Denis to Masson, and Giacometti to Bacon.
A very personal narrative of his life, experiences, evolution and painting, this book allows us to cross both borders and the century with Balthus. We accompany him from Switzerland to Paris, from the Villa Medicis to Japan, sharing in his encounters and friendships with the great creators of out time. With Balthus, we discover painters, filmmakers and politicians, like André Malraux, whose influence on Balthus’s life was determining.