Lesson plan

Balthus

Balthasar Klossowski ( ; February 29, 1908 – February 18, 2001), also known as Balthus ( ), was a Polish-French modern artist. He is known for his erotically charged images of young girls, and the dreamlike quality of his imagery. Balthus rejected the usual conventions of the art world. Insisting that his paintings must be seen rather than read, he resisted attempts to build a biographical profile. Late in life, he was interviewed by neurobiologist Semir Zeki, in Rossinière, Switzerland, and at the Palazzo Farnese in Rome. The interviews were published in 1995 under the title La Quête de l'essentiel. In these conversations, he discussed some of his views on art, painting, and his contemporaries.

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Article summary

Balthasar Klossowski ( ; February 29, 1908 – February 18, 2001), also known as Balthus ( ), was a Polish-French modern artist. He is known for his erotically charged images of young girls, and the dreamlike quality of his imagery. Balthus rejected the usual conventions of the art world. Insisting that his paintings must be seen rather than read, he resisted attempts to build a biographical profile. Late in life, he was interviewed by neurobiologist Semir Zeki, in Rossinière, Switzerland, and at the Palazzo Farnese in Rome. The interviews were published in 1995 under the title La Quête de l'essentiel. In these conversations, he discussed some of his views on art, painting, and his contemporaries.

Key claims

  1. date of birth: 1908 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  2. date of birth: 1942 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  3. date of birth: 1968 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  4. date of birth: 1973 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  5. date of death: 2001-02-18 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  6. publication date: 1995 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the date of birth is "1908". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. The record states that the date of birth is "1942". What evidence would count against this claim?
  4. The record states that the date of birth is "1968". What evidence would count against this claim?
  5. The record states that the date of birth is "1973". What evidence would count against this claim?
  6. The record states that the date of death is "2001-02-18". What evidence would count against this claim?
  7. The record states that the publication date is "1995". What evidence would count against this claim?
  8. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  9. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1377535467

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.