Beautiful and naÞive Maggy Lunel arrives in Paris completely broke. She becomes an artist's model and the toast of Paris. She attracts the attention of painter Julien Mistral, an arrogant and selfish man who places his work above everything. Their paths diverge as Mistral's art catches the eye of a rich American woman who becomes his patroness and eventually his wife. During the war years in France, Mistral collaborates with the Nazis in order to continue with his work, a decision that will come back to haunt him years later. At the same time, Maggy has a daughter named Teddy who grows up and falls in love with Mistral herself, with whom she has a child named Fauve. As Mistral ages, he comes to terms with his selfish past and wartime betrayal through his art, leaving a beautiful legacy for his daughter, Fauve.