Chapter 9, Part 1 Summary

Putting more distance between him and his family, Claude searches out a larger place to work on his masterpiece. He draws from the capital of his inheritance rather than wait for his annual one thousand francs. He reasons that with this painting he will at last find success, so why not live comfortably on his own money? Claude has now reached the point where he lives only for his picture. He has the frame specially made and buys seamless canvass and builds a special scaffolding so he can work on the enormous canvas. His mind is constantly on the Cité whether in his shed turned studio or in the shadow of the Pont des Saints-Pères. From the beginning, Claude makes one mistake after another on his canvas. Fagerolles praises the work he has done and seems to have pronounced a...