Charlie Bartle, a struggling painter, finds inspiration and joy in the vibrant streets of Paris on sunny days. However, his mood changes when the weather turns gloomy, and he becomes disheartened by his poverty and the shabbiness of his studio. Monsieur Leir, a retired art dealer, visits Charlie and offers him encouragement and advice.
Charlie expresses his frustrations about his financial struggles and his relationship with his fiancée, Rosie. Monsieur Leir, wanting to help Charlie, suggests sending his paintings to his son-in-law in New York for potential sales.
Charlie shows Monsieur Leir his paintings, including a copy of a Watteau painting that he had made before the original was destroyed in a fire. Monsieur Leir is impressed by the copy and believes it can be sold for a significant sum in America.
The dealer, Monsieur Leir, offers to buy a copy of a painting from Charlie Bartle for three hundred francs. Bartle hesitates but eventually agrees to sell the copy, with the condition that Leir won’t pass it off as an original. Leir suggests that Bartle paint over the signature and put his own name on it to ensure it won’t be mistaken for an original.
Leir takes the copy and plans to send his maid to collect Bartle’s other paintings. Leir hints that he may be able to help Bartle sell his paintings and even marry his fiancée. Leir sends a letter to the U.S. Customs, informing them of the copy and the hidden original signature.
Rudolf Kuhn, a dealer, attempts to pass the painting through customs as a copy but is caught when the original signature is revealed. Kuhn’s client, a wealthy art collector, buys the painting for $60,000, believing it to be an original. Leir returns to Bartle and gives him £5,000, his share of the profit from the sale of his paintings. Leir destroys Bartle’s remaining paintings and stretchers, forgetting that he had just given him a large sum of money.
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