Claude Zoret, a famous and rich painter, falls in love with one of his models, Michael, and for a time the two live happily as partners. Zoret is considerably older than Michael, and as they age, Michael begins to drift from him, although Zoret is completely blind to this. When a bankrupt countess comes to Zoret to have a portrait made — with the real intent of seducing him and swindling his money — she finds Michael to be more receptive to her advances. While Zoret begins to work on his masterpiece, Michael steals and sells some of his sketches. Zoret will never find out what Michael did and falls ill and dies with still the idea of having found the true love. Michaël is considered a cornerstone of the history of silent movies.