Paul Fisher:

He’s wearing a blood-red robe. And he’s got cuffs and a collar that are highly pleated and somewhat feminine. So, Sargent is really sporting with gender here. Dr. Pozzi was a famous womanizer, but he had lots of queer friends in the circles in Paris.

And Sargent was kind of gripped by this man’s charisma, and you can see it in the portrait. He has warring instincts. On the one hand, he’s a very sort of shy, quiet, retiring man who loves his work. On the other hand, the provocation is part of his making a career for himself.