Jules Cotard (1840–1889): His life and the unique syndrome which bears his name
ACTrujillano, Columbia SCsandi_moriarity@urmc.rochester.edu
Submitted June 25, 2002
In the excellent article by Pearn and Gardner-Thorpe, the authors
state that Marcel Proust
immortalized J. Cotard as the Dr. Cottard in À la recherché du temps
perdu. [1] This is not so clear. Proust very often-made characters based
on composite traits of multiple persons, and it is risky to say that so-
and-so represents a specific individual in his book.
George D. Painter, in part 1, chapter 7 of his biography on Proust,
thinks that proustian Cottard is Dr. Pozzi-a flamboyant urologist,
womanizer, painted by Sargent, and ultimately shot by one of his patients.
Tadié thinks that Dr. Pozzi and Marcel Proust’s father are combined in the
description of Cottard’s character.
There are two recent excellent biographies in English by J-Y Tadié
[Viking 2000] and W. C. Carter [Yale University Press 2000] in addition to
the 1959 edition by G. D. Painter that should be read before embarking on
Proust in order to understand À la recherché.
References:
1. Pearn J, Gardner-Thorpe C. Jules Cotard (1840-1889)His life and
the unique syndrome which bears his name. Neurology 2002;58:1400-1403.
In the excellent article by Pearn and Gardner-Thorpe, the authors state that Marcel Proust immortalized J. Cotard as the Dr. Cottard in À la recherché du temps perdu. [1] This is not so clear. Proust very often-made characters based on composite traits of multiple persons, and it is risky to say that so- and-so represents a specific individual in his book.
George D. Painter, in part 1, chapter 7 of his biography on Proust, thinks that proustian Cottard is Dr. Pozzi-a flamboyant urologist, womanizer, painted by Sargent, and ultimately shot by one of his patients. Tadié thinks that Dr. Pozzi and Marcel Proust’s father are combined in the description of Cottard’s character.
There are two recent excellent biographies in English by J-Y Tadié [Viking 2000] and W. C. Carter [Yale University Press 2000] in addition to the 1959 edition by G. D. Painter that should be read before embarking on Proust in order to understand À la recherché.
References:
1. Pearn J, Gardner-Thorpe C. Jules Cotard (1840-1889)His life and the unique syndrome which bears his name. Neurology 2002;58:1400-1403.