With the death of Balthus in February 2001, the world lost one of the most magisterial painters of the twentieth century. Following his father’s death, Stanislas Klossowski de Rola has written a new introduction to this compilation of the most important paintings, expanded now to include Balthus’s last work, The Waiting, and the controversial Guitar Lesson from 1934. Rare photographs show the young Balthus in his studio, while more recent images by his friend Henri Cartier-Bresson complete this tribute to one of the great artists of recent times.