Serge surely knows about the artless painting hanging on Yvan’s wall, and so his description of Marc as uneducated in the realm of modern art to another of his uneducated friends belies Serge’s pretentious nature. Serge, in this passage, attempts to turn Yvan against Marc by pointing out how Marc has declined—just as Marc attempted to regarding Serge in the previous scene. As Yvan realizes that his friends are using him to battle one another, he reflects silently on what has become of their friendships with one another.