The Unknown Masterpiece
- First published
- 1899
- Reading level
- Plain English
- Price
- Free
About the book
"The Unknown Masterpiece" by Honoré de Balzac is a short story first published in 1831. Set in seventeenth-century Paris, it follows three painters: the young unknown Nicolas Poussin, the established Porbus, and the enigmatic master Frenhofer. For ten years, Frenhofer has labored obsessively on a secret painting he believes will be his greatest triumph. When Poussin offers his beautiful lover as a model, the completion draws near—but what will the finished work reveal? A profound meditation on artistic perfection and obsession.
- Biographical fiction
- France
- French fiction
- Painters
- Poussin, Nicolas, 1594?-1665
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #23060. The Unknown Masterpiece on Wikipedia.
