Returning to Rome was a shock. The Tiber had flooded, inundating the Piazza di Spagna—Bernini’s sculpture of a half-sunk old boat appeared to have completely submerged. Green silt ringed the piazza, marking the surrounding buildings with the high-water mark the flood had reached during my absence. The Spanish Steps were barren without models. For a moment, I wondered whether I should have stayed in the States.

           When I opened the door to my studio, I was taken aback by its long-abandoned feeling. Was it always so silent? I pushed open the windows to let out the...

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