Was the painter beginning to change his manner? Those last two pictures might give reason to fear so. They were life size, yet that did not prevent them from being dull and commonplace in execution. Doubtless, irritated by his critics, Meissonier had wished to prove that he also, if he wanted to, could paint according to the schools. Even the artists who are surest of themselves sometimes come to these hasty and impatient determinations. Fortunately for him, he made a bad showing, and a painter who had great influence over him, Jules Chenavard, succeeded in recalling him from the false path into which he was trying to force his talent. On the other hand, the praises bestowed upon his _genre_ painting, _The Reader_, which was "genuine Meissonier," could not fail to encourage him to remain true to himself. The _Revue des Deux Mondes_, in its critical review of the Salon, bestowed upon this picture an enthusiastic tribute, couched in a style that may seem to us today somewhat old-fashioned: "A Flemish canvas, if there ever was one. Picture to yourself a good old soul, retired from business, his skin as wrinkled as the parchment of his books, ill clad, ill fed, and nevertheless the happiest man in the world: he is a bibliophile, and he is in the midst of old books! You could hardly believe how vividly this noble passion is expressed in that little picture. But where in the world did M. Meissonier come across all those delightful little rarities in books? You can almost smell the adorable odour of old bindings!" The young artist--he was at that time only twenty-five--was awarded a third-class medal. The following year he obtained a second-class medal, and his painting, _The Game of Chess_, won him a brilliant triumph: it was purchased by M. Paul Périer. It was a material triumph not to be despised: the picture brought two thousand francs, which at that time was considerable. The moral triumph was even bigger, because Paul Périer was an experienced collector, who acquired only such works as were worthy to take their place in an assemblage where the biggest names of the period were represented by masterpieces. Henceforth, success after success followed regularly. Each picture that he sent to the Salon won increasing distinction: _A Smoker_ (they are a goodly number, the smokers and the readers that came from Meissonier's brush!); _A Young Man Playing the 'Cello_; _The Painter in his Studio_; _The Guard-House_; _The Young Man Looking at Sketches_; _The Game of Piquet_; _The Park at Saint-Cloud_. This last picture was done in collaboration; Meissonier painted only the figures, the landscape was the work of Français. This mounting success, which so quickly turned into glory, was legitimate. The artist had by this time all his resources admirably at command, and was fully imbued with his ideal.