Honoré De Balzac (1799-1850) is generally credited as the inventor of the modern realistic novel. In more than ninety novels, he set forth French society and l

A New York Review Books Original One of Honoré de Balzac's most celebrated tales, "The Unknown Masterpiece" is the story of a painter who, depending on one's p

The Unknown MasterpieceLe Chef-d'oeuvre inconnuHonor� de BalzacTranslated by Ellen MarriageLe Chef-d'oeuvre inconnu (English "The Unknown Masterpiece") is a s

Young Nicolas Poussin, as yet unknown, visits the painter Porbus in his workshop. He is accompanied by the old master Frenhofer who comments expertly on the lar