The Guitar Lesson

E883918

The Guitar Lesson is a controversial 1934 painting by Balthus, known for its unsettling erotic and transgressive depiction of a young girl and an older woman.

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Label Occurrences
The Guitar Lesson canonical 1

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf painting
artist Balthus NERFINISHED
artStyleCharacteristic careful composition
realist yet dreamlike rendering
theatrical staging of figures
colorPalette muted tones
copyrightStatus under copyright
countryOfOrigin France
creator Balthus NERFINISHED
creatorNationality Polish-French
depictionType interior scene
depicts guitar
older woman
young girl
genre erotic art
figurative painting
hasEffect censorship debates
ethical debates about representation of minors
public controversy
hasInfluenced discourse on eroticism in art
museum display policies for explicit works
hasMotive musical instrument as erotic prop
hasReception considered a key work in Balthus’s oeuvre
considered disturbing by many viewers
subject of art-historical analysis of transgression
subject of feminist critique
hasTheme abuse of authority
loss of innocence
taboo sexuality
voyeurism
inception 1934
languageOfTitle French
mainSubject eroticized power dynamics
transgressive sexuality
medium oil paint (widely reported, though specific support may vary)
movement modern art
surrealism (associated) NERFINISHED
notableFor controversial erotic content
depiction of a minor in a sexualized pose
disturbing and unsettling atmosphere
sadomasochistic overtones
originalTitle La Leçon de guitare NERFINISHED
partOf Balthus’s early 1930s body of work
portrays dominance and submission dynamic
teacher–student relationship (subverted)
titleLanguage English (translated title)

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Balthus notableWork The Guitar Lesson