Claude Hersent (Hersaint), Meudon (acquired from the artist)
Richard L. Feigen & Co., Chicago
Galerie Jan Krugier & Cie., Geneva
Galerie Claude Bernard, Paris
Private Collection, France (acquired by 1977)
Thomas Gibson Fine Art, London
James Kirkman, London
Sale: Christie's, London, June 23, 1997, lot 47
Acquired at the above sale

New York, Pierre Matisse Gallery, Balthus, 1949, no. 23
New York, Museum of Modern Art, Balthus, 1956, no. 18
Cambridge, The New Hayden Gallery, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Balthus, 1964, no. 14
Chicago, Arts Club of Chicago, Balthus, 1964, no. 14
Geneva, Galerie Krugier & Cie., Bonjour, Monsieur Courbet, 1967, no. 17, illustrated in the catalogue
London, Annely Juda Fine Art, Balthus Drawings, 1968
London, The Tate Gallery, Balthus, 1968, no. 27, illustrated in the catalogue (image reversed)
Paris, Musée National d'Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou & New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Balthus, 1983-84, no. 87, illustrated in the catalogue
London, Annely Juda Fine Art & Juda Rowan Gallery, Masterpieces of the Avantgarde, 1985, no. 8, illustrated in color in the catalogue
Venice, Palazzo Grassi, Balthus, 2001-02, no. 75, illustrated in color in the catalogue
Vevey, Musée Jenisch, Balthus. De Piero della Francesca à Alberto Giacometti, 2002, no. 14, illustrated in color in the catalogue
Martigny, Fondation Pierre Gianadda, Balthus. 100e anniversaire, 2008, no. 51, illustrated in color in the catalogue

Jean Leymarie, Balthus, Geneva, 1982, illustrated p. 140
Jean Leymarie, Balthus, Geneva, 1990, illustrated p. 144
Claude Roy, Balthus, Paris, 1996, p. 73
Jean Clair & Virginie Monnier, Balthus, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre complet, 1999, no. P170, illustrated p. 149
Cristina Carrillo de Albornoz, Balthus, Paris, 2000, illustrated pp. 62 & 78
Jean Clair, Balthus, Paris, 2001, no. 75, p. 292, illustrated in color p. 295

Canvas is lined. Some minor craqueleure scattered throughout. Under UV light a layer of varnish is somewhat difficult to read through, but there appear to be some thin strokes of inpainting along extreme top and left edges to address prior frame abrasion. This work is in generally very good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Balthus once said the following when the Tate Gallery sought an introductory text to accompany the 1968 retrospective in which the present work was shown: “The best way of starting is to say that Balthus is a painter about whom we know nothing. And now, let us look at his paintings.” His stage-like interiors, often occupied by beautiful young girls, are imbued with a sense of mystery. The narrative of the present scene is not entirely clear: the older attendant stands in profile, with the towel ready to envelop the young girl who stands at her dressing table, pausing as she pulls back her chair; her clear and open glaze arrests the viewer's eye. 

As Balthus recalled: “I’ve always had a naïve, natural complicity with young girls… Spiritual risks occur during long posing sessions. Making the spirit surge forth in a sweet and innocent mind, something not yet realized, that dates back to the beginning of time and must be preserved at all costs.… There is nothing riskier or more difficult than to render a bright gaze, the barely tactile fuzz of a cheek, the presence of a barely perceptible emotion like a heaviness mixed with lightness on a pair of lips. But the body and facial features were not my only focus. That which lay beneath their bodies and features, in their silence and darkness, was of equal importance” (Balthus, Vanished Splendors, A Memoir, New York, 2001, pp. 65-66).