Girl kneeling, her arms on a chair 

Balthus made this charcoal drawing of a girl kneeling with her arms on a chair sometime during the twentieth century. The image is one of many he made of adolescent girls in domestic interiors, and these works are often interpreted in light of the artist's biography, in particular his relationships with young models. Balthus's art is a product of its time, shaped by the cultural values and social anxieties of twentieth-century Europe. His style is rooted in a historical understanding of art, and he saw himself as working in the traditions of the old masters. However, it is also important to recognize that his artistic vision was shaped by the social context in which he lived and worked, and by his engagement with institutional structures of the art world. To better understand the meaning of this drawing, art historians might consult archival sources, such as letters and exhibition catalogs, or delve into the critical literature surrounding Balthus's work, exploring the ways in which his art has been interpreted and debated over time.