Perhaps only in a second home in Italy can you have a shrine to yourself at the top of the stairs. Yep, that’s me, sort of — if I were 30 years younger 500 years ago and had never felt any emotion whatsoever. Antonio had long had this idea that I should have my portrait done in Renaissance style. The quasi-famous painter and quasi-friend he hoped would do it seemed one “let’s do it on this date” short of interested, so Antonio took matters into his own hands. He sketched the whole thing, down to the emerald beads of my choker, on a computer using some kind of CAD software. He’s a big fan of surrealism, so threw that in, too. Hence the iconic baby from 2001: A Space Odyssey floating over my Renaissance head.
Then he commissioned my neighbor, Marina, to reproduce his work on canvas. She’s a really good painter who specializes in still life, and she took the project on as a challenge.
I have to admit I kind of love it.