His Masterpiece is a fictional account of Zola's friendship with Paul Cezanne and a fairly accurate portrayal of the Parisian art world in the mid-19th century. The story follows painter Claude Lantier who advocates painting real subjects in real places, most notably outdoors. This is in stark contrast to the artistic establishment, where artists painted in the studio and concentrated on mythological, historical and religious subjects. His art making is revolutionary and he has a small circle of like-minded friends equally intent on shaking up the art world and challenging the establishment.