Two paintings by Balthus hang side by side in this gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. One is The Mountain (1937), a large alpine scene full of figures who don't seem to notice each other. The other is Nude Before a Mirror (1955). A rope barrier and a wooden floor complete the room. The Petition the Met Turned Down In 2017 an online petition asked … [Read more...] about Balthus at the Met: Why the Museum Keeps a Contested Painter on the Wall