Gassed by John Singer Sargent

Gassed (1919)
John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925)
Oil on Canvas
90½ x 240 in.
Imperial War Museums, London

The Man in the Red Coat by Julian Barnes

New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2020

At the core of Barnes', The Man in the Red Coat is Dr. Samuel Pozzi, the subject of John Singer Sargent's famous portrait. This isn't, however, the typical biography of an individual. It's a biography of a place, a time, and a society.

The jumping off point is a 1885 trip to London by three Frenchmen for what they termed 'intellectual shopping' (something a dandy would do). One of the members of this trio was Dr. Pozzi. The others were Prince Edmond de Polignac and Count Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensac. So then the question becomes how did this commoner with the Italian name come to make this trip with a prince and a count.

The society during la Belle Epoque in Paris, serves as the foundation of the story Barnes has to tell. The relationships, petty jealousies, duels, and court cases are all included. A cast of characters include many lesser-known individuals, but some major names play a role in the world that the doctor, the prince and count inhabit.

Major literary figures such as Oscar Wilde and Joris-Karl Huysmans (author of A Rebours) appear, along with a fascinating discussion of aestheticism and dandyism. Wilde's trials are discussed in the context of the French vs British court systems. French cases like the Black Masses Scandal involving Baron Fersen (Jacques d'Adelsward-Fersen) who was charged with inciting minors to commit debauchery is briefly noted. A polarizing political issue during this time was the Dreyfus Affair, a blatant example of the anti-Semitism of the time. It's definitely a Who's Who of artists (Sargent, obviously), actresses (Sarah Bernhardt), authors, and society figures of the time period.

In the context of all of this literary and political intrigue was extraordinary progress in medicine and Dr. Pozzi was a the center of it. His experience with doctors such as British surgeon, Joseph Lister, aided Pozzi in improving surgical services in France and particularly in the area of gynecology, his specialty. This is a fascinating time of rapid growth in understanding germ theory and the ways to prevent infection.

All of this makes for a fascinating social history of la Belle Epoque Paris that is as exciting as any work of fiction.

A Portrait of John Singer Sargent by Giovanni Boldini

A Portrait of John Singer Sargent (c1884)
Giovanni Boldini (Italian, 1832-1931)
Oil on panel
27 x 22 cm

The Gemlike Flame by Louis Auchincloss

Venice: Under the Rialto Bridge (1909)
John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925)
Watercolor
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

The Gemlike Flame originally appeared in New World Writing, 3rd Mentor Selection (1953) and was subsequently issued in the short story collection, The Romantic Egoists (Houghton Mifflin, 1954). This story highlights the struggle between a 1950s understanding of a male-male relationship and an earlier, more chaste understanding such as appears in Edward Prime-Stevenson's Imre: A Memorandum (originally published under the pseudonym, Xavier Mayne in Naples, Italy, 1906) or The Strange Confession of Monsieur Montcairn (published anonymously, 1928).

The story opens in Venice as Peter Wescott is visiting his slightly older expat cousin, Clarence McClintock. Clarence summers in Venice each year and is described as 'impossibly choosy in his acquaintance'. More interested in the art and culture of Italy, he has no interest in making friends among the Italians or the visiting Americans. He has a particular distaste for "the artists and writers whom he regarded with chaste suspicion as people of unorthodox sexual appetite who had come to the funny land of love in search of tolerance that was not to be found in the justly censorious places of their origin." (Romantic Egoists, p.183)

When Peter introduces Clarence to his friend, Neddy Bane, they immediately hit it off. Neddy, an irresponsible, boyish-looking artist plans to return to New York after running out of money, but when Clarence offers to move him into his apartment, he stays. Clarence offers order and discipline to Neddy, sending him off each morning to sketch and then providing a place to paint each afternoon. Peter immediately understands what's in it for Neddy but when he asks what's in it for Clarence, Clarence replies, "Well if you don't see that, Peter, what do you see? It's what I have always waited for." (Romantic Egoists, p194)

When Clarence's mother, Maud Dash, arrives from New York for the Lorisan Ball, she asks Peter about Clarence's 'boyfriend'. It soon becomes apparent that there is no clear consensus on the nature of Clarence and Neddy's relationship.


Bibliographies & Ratings: Cory (I); Garde (OTP, c); Mattachine Review (I); Young (132)