Henri is a middle-aged travelling umbrella salesman from Saumur. One night on the roads of Brittany he hits a boar with his car. He meets Émile, a rude and carefree painter who lives in a cottage near Riec-sur-Belon.
Henri Serin, a sales rep in umbrellas who lives in Saumur, is bored with his life. Married to an unloving, uptight wife, who, unlike him, has no interest in sex, he is also rejected by his children. Thus, he spends most of his time travelling from town to town, flirting with women and meeting all kinds of people in the hotels, restaurants, shops and places he visits. He also dabbles in painting, particularly portraits. After his car breaks down as he is driving through Brittany, he meets a rough, foul-mouthed painter who offers him to stay at his house, near Pont-Aven. There, Henri falls in love with Angela, the painters model and fling, and soon they run off together. After a few days of passion, Angela goes away, leaving Henri heartbroken. He then returns to his home only to find his wife having sex with another man. Dejected, he decides to ditch everything, and settles in Brittany to do what he likes best: painting. He also drowns his sorrows by drinking heavily, until he starts enjoying life again with the help of a sweet, young girl who shows him real care and attention.
