The Masterpiece by Émile Zola. Short summary

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An unrecognized avant-garde artist is obsessed with perfection in art. Claude Lanthier dreams of creating something more alive than life itself. Creativity turns into torture.

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The architect Dubuche, the writer Sandoz, and the artist Claude came together while still at Plassane College. Now they are conquering Paris with varying degrees of success.

Claude and Sandoz dream of a revolution in art, friends ready to challenge the bony conventional canons. Claude is phenomenally gifted and obsessed with his idea: to depict the living world as he sees it.

The rebellious artist is not recognized by the public. His works are booed at vernissages. But this is not the only thing that oppresses the master. His enthusiasm fades faster than the plot on the canvas begins to take shape. All incarnations are imperfect and half-hearted. Creativity becomes a torture for the artist.

Claude avoids women, but one day, quite by chance, he meets the one who gave inspiration, became a model and wife. His wife Christine posed Claude for his most important and painful painting. It was she who found Claude hanging in the studio, in front of an unfinished canvas.