Publisher's Synopsis
The Unknown Masterpiece is a novella written by the French author Honore de Balzac. The story revolves around a young painter named Nicolas Poussin, who is struggling to create his masterpiece. He seeks the guidance of an older, more experienced painter named Frenhofer, who is rumored to have created the most beautiful painting in the world. However, Frenhofer is reclusive and refuses to show his work to anyone. Poussin becomes obsessed with seeing the painting and eventually convinces Frenhofer to show it to him. When he finally sees it, Poussin is disappointed and confused by what he sees. The painting appears to be a mess of colors and shapes, without any discernible image. Frenhofer explains that the painting is a representation of a woman, but her image is so perfect that it cannot be captured by any conventional means. He has spent years trying to capture her essence, but has failed. The painting is a representation of his frustration and his obsession with perfection. The story explores the themes of art, creativity, and the search for perfection. It is a meditation on the nature of beauty and the limits of human perception. The Unknown Masterpiece is considered one of Balzac's most important works and has been praised for its psychological depth and its exploration of the creative process.THIS 42 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: The Country Doctor; The Quest of the Absolute; and Other Novels, by Honore de Balzac. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 0766171175.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
