Act 3 Summary

This scene takes place in Maximillian Brush's art gallery where the portrait of Harriet now hangs. Maximillian is an old art dealer, but still has much enthusiasm for the craft. He sits looking at his paintings as if they are treasured friends. John is now employed at the gallery and enters the room to tell Mr. Brush that he has finished one of his retouching projects. Mr. Brush notices John's dejected posture, and John admits that he hates the work but has taken the job merely out of necessity.

John feels that his enthusiasm for real painting is lost but Mr. Brush reminds him of the brilliance of Harriet's portrait. Mr. Brush inquires why Harriet declined the portrait. John can only tell him that her decision was made on a whim and John did not have the resources to pursue litigation for the...