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Dr. Samuel Pozzi

This renowned surgeon, charismatic society man, unfaithful husband, and loving but distracted father is one of the key subjects of this book. His image remains immortal in a portrait by John Singer Sargent which evokes the book's title.

Count Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensac

This aristocrat, aesthete, and dandy who collected beautiful objects in his home also dressed in elaborate costumes and wrote prose and poetry.

Prince Edmond de Polignac

This closeted homosexual and wealthy aristocrat composed music but never achieved much success for it. He eventually married a wealthy American heiress, who herself was a closeted lesbian, and the pair built a genuinely respectful marriage.

Des Esseintes

This character is the fictional protagonist of the novel A Rebours by Joris-Karl Huysman. The character is eccentric, reclusive, and an ailing aesthete.

Jean Lorrain

This individual was a dandy and a gossip columnist. He was malicious in his work...

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