Catherine Sauvat

In 1870, Leopold von Sacher-Masoch published Venus in Furs, an erotic novel revealing the author's desire to be dominated by a woman. (And paid homage in the classic Velvet Underground song of the same name.) After the novel's success, a woman turns up at his doorstep and offers to take on the role in Sacher-Masoch's real life. He completely submits...