The Belle Epoque was a beautiful time for beautiful people like Leon Delafosse.

He was a talented French pianist and composer who had way too many admirers, including the famous dandy who was also a bad poet, the Comte Robert de Montesquiou. The Belle Epoque started right after the Franco-Prussian war. The elites had made their peace with the Germans being their overlords and pro-Nazi symptoms were becoming apparent within the upper-class French quarters. Bang in the middle of this fervor, Delafosse was making a name for himself.

Comte Robert de Montesquiou, directly related to the dukes of Gascony, really took to the musician. They met at a private salon where Delafosse would often play. Quickly, Montesquiou took Delafosse under his wing. He made him thrive. He wrote poems about him. Delafosse, in turn, would write music to the Count’s verses.

The French aristocrat Montesquiou made quite the impression on anyone who had the chance to meet him. Writer Marcel Proust was his willful slave. Montesquiou would treat him like sh*t, and Proust would graciously take it. For the writer, this was an excellent opportunity for research. He could hobnob with Parisian socialites and learn about their lives. Proust did not have access to this world before he met Delafosse.

Both Montesquiou and Delafosse feature in Proust’s first book, "In Search of Lost Time." In the book, they are lovers. Eventually, the musician falls out of favor with the Count. The character based on Delafosse is attacked profusely through the Count’s writing. A bitter end to a passionate love story. 90% of the story is in fact, true. They cannot beproved to have been lovers, but around 1895-7 they did "break up." Delafosse was shunned by all socialites who were close to Montesquiou. He fell to obscurity. Even Proust didn’t lend a helping hand. And we have no idea what he did to deserve it. My theory is that they were all in love with each other, and one of them (Montesquiou) got super jealous. #crazyexboyfriend

At the time, John Singer Sargent was one of the most sought after portrait artists in Europe and North America. And he didn’t come cheap. Sargent would charge close to $5000 per portrait. That would be about $130,000 now. This painting of Delafosse was a gift to the musician.

Sargent wasn’t painting Delafosse for the money. It appears he too was smitten by the French musician, even long after Parisian society had shut the pianist out. I must admit, Delafosse was very handsome. Who wouldn’t fall for this beautiful man? Sargent was merely mortal, like all of us. The inscription behind the painting reads “to M. Léon Delafosse in fond remembrance.”

Sargent sent the painting to Boston for an exhibition in 1899. He wrote to art collector Isabella Gardner, “Of course Delafosse is a decadent especially in the matter of neck-ties - but he is a very intelligent little Frenchman, and a composer and excellent pianist, who is probably going over to America in a year's time, so I sent his portrait over as a forerunner.” Sargent was definitely invested in Delafosse’s success. He would tell his friends about him. He wanted Delafosse to be famous. But, did he do as much as the Comte? We think so. Sargent created a historical artifact in honor of the guy. The painting now hangs at the Seattle Art Museum. Someone give Sargent a medal already.