Dr. Samuel Pozzi

Dr. Samuel Pozzi was a renowned surgeon, charismatic society man, unfaithful husband, and loving but distracted father. He was painted by John Singer Sargent in a portrait called "Dr. Pozzi at Home," in which he wears the infamous red coat and sexual pose which first inspired author Julian Barnes to research the dashing figure in the painting. Pozzi was from a Protestant family and thus was of a minority in French society, singled out for his faith, for his humble roots, and for his meteoric rise in society.

Pozzi interacted with and befriended artists and writers, actors and dancers, and moved in elite Parisian circles thanks to his fame as a surgeon. He became a gynecological specialist and thus came into contact with many upper class women, allegedly seducing his patients and carrying on dozens and dozens of love affairs. However, his wife, Thér...