The artist first is Jaromil's art teacher, then he becomes Maman's lover. The artist has elaborate theories about surrealist art that he shares with Jaromil and Maman. Jaromil later breaks with the artist, because the artist refuses to adopt the new regime's style of socialist realism. In Jaromil's final confrontation at a party, he defends his break with the artist, because now the artist is as a person that is dead.