At the Sign of the Cat and Racket by Honoré de Balzac. Short summary

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An artist marries the daughter of a merchant who owns «a house with a cat playing ball.» But he quickly grows cold toward his wife, realizing that she is incapable of appreciating art.

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The artist Theodore falls in love with the daughter of the merchant Guillaume. He owns a house known as «The House with the Cat Playing Ball.» Theodore creates a painting in which he depicts the interior of this house. The artist’s work is displayed in the salon next to a portrait of the merchant’s daughter. The artist meets his beloved through her cousin.

The lovers marry, despite the desire of her parents to marry the girl to Mr. Guillaume’s assistant. The assistant eventually marries the girl’s older sister. The marriage between Augustine and Théodore does not work out; the girl cannot appreciate works of art. As a result, the man becomes cold to his wife and finds a kindred spirit in another.

After three years of marriage, Augustine discovers her husband’s affair and visits her rival. The Countess brings back the portrait of Augustine given to her by Theodore. The man, seeing the portrait in his home, realizes that his wife will never be able to appreciate the beauty of the art. He destroys the portrait. Augustine continues in a loveless marriage and dies of a broken heart eight years later.