title: Nude Before a Mirror
text: # Nude Before a Mirror
  
  Nude Before a Mirror (originally known as Nu devant une cheminée) is a 1955 painting by Polish-French artist Balthus.
  
  The painting depicts a nude woman before a mirror, which is a typical subject for Balthus, a fact that caused controversy in his early career. This painting is also referred to as Nude in Front of a Mantel.
  
  It is part of the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and was donated to the museum by art collector and banker Robert Lehman in 1975.
  
  