His Masterpiece

"His Masterpiece", the fourteenth novel in Émile Zola's "Les Rougon-Macquart" cycle, follows the talented painter Claude Lantier as he tries to create the painting that will make his name. However, in spite of his talent, he is never fully satisfied with his work, and the public brutally rejects his avant-garde style. The novel was inspired by Zola's friendship with the Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne, and offers an unflinching portrayal of the challenges of artistic creation.

Originally published in 1886, "His Masterpiece" is a great fictionalized account of the Parisian art world in the mid 19th century, and the emerging Realism, Naturalism and Impressionism movements.