This is the earliest film listed in Edwin S. Porter's filmography on Wikipedia (as opposed to on this site which lists several earlier ones dating back to 1898). It's quite clever concerning a painter, a young woman, and a clown. Porter might have previously seen several of Georges Melies' fantasy films from France as it does the kind of plot and tricks of that other film pioneer. I'll just say I was quite amused and entertained by The Artist's Dilemma and leave it at that.