Red-haired Iris works in the workshop, painting the faces of porcelain dolls. She wants to become a real artist, but this is hardly feasible in Victorian England. At night, Iris draws herself from life in front of the mirror. This causes her to quarrel with her twin sister, and Iris leaves the doll workshop. On the streets of London she meets the Pre-Raphaelite artist Louis. He invites Iris to become a model, and in return he will teach her how to paint with oil paints. The very first picture of Iris becomes an event; her beautiful red hair delights the Royal Academy of Arts. But she also has an admirer, Silas Reed, an eccentric from the curio shop, a passionate collector. Neither Louis nor Iris yet suspect that he wants to make the girl the pearl of his collection.