Reality seems to have as many dimensions as we are able to discern and isolate - and each is usually driven by some overarching motive. Sometimes art is one of these. The most notable examples of this are artistic salons, especially of the 19th- and 20th-century Vienna, Paris and New York…Misa Sert (aka real-life Madame Verdurin, as she was Proust's primary inspiration for the protagonist) was one of the best-known hostesses of the salons of the 20th-century Paris. Her gatherings attracted prominent figures of the fin-de-siècle society, including Picasso, Satie, Bonnard, Renoir, Diaghilev, Toulouse-Lautrec, Szymanowski, Czapski, among many others.Using the example of Misia Godebska's salon, I aim to illustrate the dynamics of existential complexity within artworks. This involves analysing selected works of art within the context in which they were created, considering not only their creators but also the reality in which the artists look at themselves while producing their art. Specifically, I will focus on the artworks whose creation and reception were strongly influenced by Misia, for example Satie’s Parade with Picasso’s scenography.For such an endeavour, semiotics offers invaluable tools, including Göran Sonesson's concept of Lifeworld and the dynamics of Moi-Soi in the existential semiotics of Eero Tarasti. In the latter case, the subject's journey to become existential will be examined alongside Aby Warburg's theory of cultural development and the necessity for each artist to accept (or reject) the so-called Pathosformen of past traditions (Nachleben) on the dialectical path of artistic development.