Abstract
The article proposes a contemporary reflection on Hegel's famous quote "the real is the rational and the rational is the real" that tradition has often misinterpreted. Inspired by a new reading by Jean-François Kervégan (which translates the sentence "the rational will become effective/real and the real/effective will become rational"), the article focuses on one of the possible illustrations of this Hegelian thesis. Émile Zola's novel The Work consists of a very interesting analysis of the notions of reality, effectiveness and rationality that the author applies to both literature and visual arts.
Behind the controversies of Pierre Sandoz and Claude Lantier, it is possible to discern all the debates that opposed Émile Zola to his friend Paul Cézanne.