The Last Dance (1914)

Jean, a poor struggling artist, living in a garret on Montmartre, sees from the gallery of the Opera House the famous Spanish dancer, Conchita, and falls madly in love with her. He haunts the street before her house, in the hopes of even a glimpse of her wonderful beauty, but try as he may, cheered on by his faithful model, Ninon, he cannot paint the picture that will do her justice. Conchita progresses from triumph to triumph, and wears the night of her greatest success the poor flowers sent her by the artist in preference to the jewels of her admiring host of friends. Ninon goes to Conchita and begs her to pose just once as Jean's model, so that he may paint her portrait and gain undying fame. Conchita, lured on by her spirit of romance, visits the artist in his studio while he is asleep and dances before him. She seems to float away into nothingness and he cannot tell whether the loving kiss that she gave him was real or only a dream. The picture that Jean paints from the inspiration of the dancer wins the prize at the Academy, and Jean has become famous overnight. The romance is soon ended when the quickly acquired fortune of the now famous painter is dissipated, and the dancer returns to the stage. Jean is broken in health, and comes to live again in an obscure garret, tenderly cared for by the ever faithful Ninon, and on her desperate plea, Conchita comes to dance before the dying Jean. He dies in her arms and she, now realizing that the world holds no further zest, follows him into the unknown.