Towards the end of the eighteenth century, the concept of artistic genius was formulated and held up as the highest human species.
Genius in art requires breaking the rules or exceeding them in ways that make them unrecognizable. There is a saying that "any sufficiently advanced skill is indistinguishable from magic." So when the Master in Art Alan De Mayo revolutionized art with his "Renaissance paintings," the response from all art critics was total astonishment, and important art critics named him Rembrandt's successor.

fragment of the book:

Arriving in Paris, he decided to find a place to live and combine it with an atelier. He sought a discreet place hidden from the gaze of the onlookers. "The more isolated I am, the more protected I will be," was the motto that accompanied him. After having inquired about neighborhoods in the suburbs of Paris, he found the small one of Batignolles. He took the metro and, after a few stops, arrived there.
In the small center, he saw a square with a fountain. The ice cream vendor's cart stood in the shade, waiting for shoppers, while its owner took a nap at home. From the bakery came a pleasant smell of yeast pastries. Alan sat on a bench in the cool shade of the ancient oak trees and looked around. Nearby, he saw the small and beautiful church of St. Mary de Batignolles, which looked a little abandoned. However, everything was calm around him, as the noon nap was sacred to the locals. No one was outside, only he and a few ducks were swimming in a pond.
Alan lay down on the bench, waiting for someone to enter the square. It was not long before he fell asleep with his backpack under his head. The noise of children kicking a ball and running after it happily woke him from his sleep. All of a sudden, life returned to the center, and even the two small cafes were full of customers. He went to one of them and sat down. A young waitress came, and Alan asked her, "Sorry, but I do not speak French; maybe you can teach me?"
The girl, blushing and confused, asked him, "What would you like to order?" without looking at him.
"Anything you offer me if you agree to eat with me," he said, amused at the sight of the girl with embarrassment in her eyes. Then he continued: "An espresso and a large croissant with jam," he said.
"Merci," she replied and walked away quickly.
Alan was sure she would send another waiter to bring his order, but to his surprise, she returned with a small tray and placed it on the table.
"I'm looking to rent a small house in this quarter. Do you know about something?" he asked.
"Yes, my mother rents out her house because we moved into her parents house after they died, and the house is empty."
"It's probably my lucky day to meet Jacqueline and have her let a house to me," he said, entertained.
"My name is Maris, not Jacqueline."
"How old are you? How do they employ fifteen-year-old girls here?" he asked.
"I'm not fifteen; I'm twenty."
"You look so young and beautiful. Why don’t you have a boyfriend?" He asked, delighted by her innocence.
"I have; he's in the army," she replied.
"So now that you've told me about yourself and the house, can you take me to your mother?"
"No, I'm not allowed to go out in the middle of a shift, but I'll explain where it is; you’ll find it easily."
Following her explanation, Alan went to the outskirts of the place and saw it at the end of the street. Its garden was neglected, and the broken gate leaned to one side.
He knocked on the door, and a pretty young woman immediately opened the door for him.
"Your sister Maris sent me to show me the house," he said.
"Oh, she is my daughter; everybody makes the same mistake. I'll get the key right away." She entered the house and returned in a few seconds. "Follow me," she said and walked quickly towards the nearest house.
This was precisely what Alan was looking for. A small two-room house, a bathroom, a small kitchenette, a spacious guest room, and a storage room. All was exactly as he wished for.
They signed a standard rental agreement and added only the names, the length of the rental period, and the monthly amount. Alan paid for three months and got the house keys. He had completed an essential phase in his program and wanted to start the most testing and main stage: marketing himself.