Pierre Klossowski; Artist, Kin of Balthus

French artist and writer Pierre Klossowski, the older brother of the painter Balthus, has died, France’s culture minister said Sunday. He was 96.

Klossowski, often associated with the Surrealists, was best known for writing and drawings that mixed eroticism with musings on the metaphysical and religious.

The artist died Sunday at his home in Paris, France Info radio reported. His death came six months after that of Balthus.

Klossowski was born into a family of artists in Paris on Aug. 9, 1905. His brother went on to become one of the 20th century’s greatest realist painters. Balthus died in February at age 93.

Klossowski’s written works include “Sade My Neighbor,” about the ravenous marquis, and a trilogy, “The Laws of Hospitality,” which explores sexuality and the connections between mind and body.

Some of his best-known suggestive drawings were published in his novel “Roberte, Tonight,” which focused on a character modeled after his wife, Denise.

Klossowski was close to the French writers Andre Gide and Andre Breton. He appeared in the 1966 film “Au Hasard Balthazar,” by French director Robert Bresson, who used untrained actors.