After sharp criticism of his unrealistic painting, Jan Xaver makes his way to a small village on the bank of the Lužnice river. His loner's life is disturbed by the arrival of his former love Helena, friends František and Ferdinand and his sister Kristina. Helena, painting bad advertisements, asks Jan for help in her work. In return she offers him her contacts and circle of friends. Jan does not accept her proposal. The energetic Kristina grows to like Jan and decides to detract him from his solitary life. Jan is enchanted by the attractive Kristina and, under her influence, he gradually begins to lose his bitterness. The rather egoistic Helena also changes. Ferdinand is responsible for this, he loves her but he is able to openly condemn her sloppy work. With his ironic criticism he finally persuades her to really try for perfection. Naturally, these changes are occasionally accompanied by various misunderstandings. All is resolved, however, and after some time everyone meets at Jan's large and successful exhibition which bears no sign of his former modernistic mannerism.
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