Artists of the Renaissance often served the upper classes, so they were always able to come into contact with secrets ordinary people could not access, like Leonardo da Vinci.
The world of "geniuses" always fascinated ordinary people. What stories lay behind them? Why did Mona Lisa smile so mysteriously?
Sometimes Georgiana had to admit that the Church truly retained its distinctive "taste." Even the spies it sent were so unusual.
Canova was jokingly called the "modern Michelangelo." There was certainly exaggeration and flattery in that, but Georgiana remembered his work.
At the Louvre Museum in the twenty-first century, she had seen Cupid's Kiss in the Hall of the Caryatids. While leafing through Canova's sketchbook, Georgiana had seen that sculpture. According to Canova, it should "now" have been stored at Arkhangelskoye Palace outside Moscow.
If Napoleon had not gone to Russia, had not attacked Moscow, then perhaps that sculpture would never have appeared in the Louvre Museum.
Troy had been destroyed by fire, and so had Moscow. Only Moscow had not let a wooden horse into its city like Troy had.
Psyche meant soul in Greek. Cupid allowed her to see him only at night, but Psyche could not resist her curiosity. She wanted to see what her husband truly looked like, so after Cupid fell asleep one night, she lit an oil lamp.
She had broken her vow. Even though Cupid still loved her, he had no choice but to leave her.
Psyche was overcome with regret and found Venus, hoping she would tell her Cupid's whereabouts. But Venus was filled with jealousy and hostility toward Psyche. She gave Psyche three utterly impossible tasks, one of which was to ask Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, for a beauty ointment kept in a golden box.
With the help of the gods,