The War of 1870 has been over for a year.A young artist emerges in the turmoil of a defeated Francerebuilding with an unsteady form of government and still occupied by the armies of the newly formed German Empire.Recovering from wounds, finding allies in a range of classesdeveloping a self understanding and building alliances insidethe Academic arts community, presents a series of obstaclesto the young mans progress.The greatest obstacle is the one he must solve himself. Howbest to be an independent artist.At the Salon of 1874 the young man has a great success butdoes not quite understand why his success has occurred.