In The Three-Cornered World, an artist leaves city life to wander in the mountains on a quest to stimulate his artistic endeavors. When he finds himself staying at an almost deserted inn, he becomes obsessed with the beautiful and strange daughter of the innkeeper, who is rumored to have abandoned her husband and fallen in love with a priest at a nearby temple. Haunted by her mystery and tragedy, he wants to paint her. As he struggles to complete his picture and solve the enigma of her life, his daily conversations with those at the inn and in the village provide clues and inspiration toward solving the mysteries she presents.