The Cat in the Mirror 1988

Balthus made "The Cat in the Mirror" with oil on canvas, though we don’t know exactly when. It's not just a painting, it’s a slow burn. Look at how he's applied the paint; it's so thin in places that it feels like the image is breathing. See the woman’s pink top, and then those thin black leggings? They feel so incredibly modern. There’s a real sense of touch, and a beautiful and subtle, chalky palette here. But, oh my god, that cat. Balthus had a thing for cats, and they kept popping up in his paintings like some Freudian slip. I can’t help but think of Guston and his hooded figures, and how he used painting to work things out. I wonder what Balthus was working out with this strange scene and its moody, almost unsettling atmosphere. Ultimately, this painting embraces the unresolved, inviting us to linger in its ambiguous narrative. It reminds us that art isn't about answers; it's about the questions we ask and the spaces we explore.