LONDON.- The Book Collector announced the forthcoming publication of a ground-breaking piece on Balthasar Klossowski de Rola, the artist known as Balthus (1908-2001), that has appeared in the Winter 2021 issue. ‘Was Balthus in Ann’s Room’ by Alastair Johnston, a book historian, typographer and letterpress printer, reveals a previously unknown source for the artist’s mysterious, and at times, controversial artwork.

Johnston demonstrates that a little-known children’s book titled Ann’s Room, published by the Medici Society in London in 1929, became inspirational to Balthus, and that this overlooked source was as influential to him as Piero della Francesca, Hogarth and Courbet, among the usual sources cited by art historians. John Tenniel, illustrator of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, was another influence, and Balthus was known to have loved children’s books, but until now there has never been a book cited whose illustrations can be directly compared one-on-one to many of Balthus’ major images.

Victoria Dailey, The Book Collector's Deputy Editor, says: "Building his case, Johnston explores the scenario in which Balthus most likely came across Ann’s Book while providing background on the stylistic change he underwent circa 1930, and how Ann’s Book provided an impetus for this change." Balthus has rightly been compared to the master artists of the past, but historians often leave out the fact that artists are influenced not only by great art, but by many of the lesser-known artists and illustrators they encounter throughout their careers. This piece provides an insight into how such a seemingly modest work can have a direct impact on a great artist.

Jacynth Parsons (1911-1992), the creator of the images in Ann’s Book was a teenage young woman just three years younger than Balthus and a child prodigy who had her first art exhibition in 1927. She went on to illustrate several other books in the late 1920s and early 1930s, including William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and John Masefield’s South and East. Parsons gave up her art career circa 1935 to raise a family after she had married and her work was largely forgotten.

The Book Collector is a literary journal founded in 1952 by Ian Fleming, who shortly afterwards became famous as the creator of James Bond. One of his nephews, James Fleming, is now the editor. The journal is published quarterly and in addition to articles on all aspects of the writing, publishing and collecting of books, it carries news about booksellers and their catalogues, book reviews, interviews with collectors, librarians, scholars and dealers and obituaries. On its website readers can find additional news pieces, podcasts and interviews and subscribers are able to access the archive that contains all the issues since the beginning. A digital subscription is available for £60/$80/€70.