The artist, at least according to Honoré de Balzac, is at work when he seems to be at rest; his labor is not labor but repose. This observation provides a model for modern artists and their relationship to both their place of work?the studio?and what they do there. Examining the complex relationship between process, product, artistic identity, and the artist's studio?in all its various manifestations?the contributors to this volume consider the dichotomy between conceptual and material aspects of art production. The essays here also explore the studio as a form of inspiration, meaning, function, and medium, from the nineteenth century up to the present.