A successful artist is dead, his throat cruelly cut. Michelangelo comes to take him to heaven, but the artist begs for one more day to live. Michelangelo agrees, on the condition that the artist personally destroy his last sculpture, an "evil eye," and create a work of pure beauty. Later, the artist's friend, a hypnotist, offers to make the artist his apprentice and reveal to him his magic powers. The artist, eager to use those powers in his work, vows to become the hypnotist's pupil, study magic, and renounce all else. When the artist falls for a beautiful girl and goes back on his word, the hypnotist turns her into a vengeful marionette who becomes his own personal weapon against the artist. Eventually, the artist paints a beautiful work, but is unable to destroy the evil sculpture, and he is murdered. This time, Michelangelo takes him to heaven, and the hypnotist begins the search for a new apprentice.