The Sidewalk Artist: A Novel

by Gina Buonaguro, Janice Kirk

Tulia Rose has left New York for Europe, looking for inspiration for her next novel. She didn't expect to discover romance, but after meeting a mysterious sidewalk artist on the streets of Paris, she finds herself falling headfirst in love with a man she barely knows. Her research---and her affair---take her through the great art capitals of the Renaissance, and her novel begins to take shape. It will tell the story of the painter Raphael and his own secret lover, but where has the idea come from? And who really is the man she has fallen in love with? When her novel is finished, will their story end as well?

Alternating between contemporary and historical Italy, The Sidewalk Artist follows two parallel, intertwined romances, offering a unique view of the creative force that has inspired artists and writers for generations.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Fiction, Italy, Art, Historical, Mystery

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

FREE SHORT CHRISTMAS STORY - All you have to do is sign up for my newsletters on my website before December 21, 2025. Please sign up for yourself and tell a friend too to receive CHRISTMAS IN ALCATRAZ (under my coauthored pen name)!
https://ginabu.eo.page/ginabu-com
Here's what one reviewer said about it: "What fun! This is a perfect holiday story that will make you smile and feel warm inside.
Nice to read about a couple in love, but not in the usual age group or setting. Alcatraz of all places! Absolutely charming, totally recommended!"


My historical novel, THE VIRGINS OF VENICE, won First Place Winner of the 2023 Chaucer Early Historical Fiction Award - please add it to your "want to read" list!

I am the coauthor with Janice Kirk of The Sidewalk Artist, Ciao Bella, and The Wolves of St. Peter's.

I along with Janice also have written under the pen name Meadow Taylor and have won one Canada Council for the Arts grant and two Ontario Arts Council grants.

Visit my website, join me on Facebook, and follow me on BookBub.

Reviews

[Natasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Sidewalk Artist” is a fascinating, lovely, warm, painful, joyful, triumphant, human and beyond a human love story. It captivated me from page one. The authors weave a fairy tale romance with a smattering of Renaissance art history.  The writing style was easy, flowing, descriptive yet concise.

[Marga Vr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jeanne Kalogridis, the writer of THE BORGIA BRIDE AND I, MONA LISA, sums it up perfectly, "A deliciously dreamlike tale of modern love and Renaissance romance"

this book has not been treated kindly by the reviewers who like point out errors in logic and flights of fancy gone somewhat overboard. But I loved reading it and certainly recommend it to any woman in need of a flight of fancy , it's so harmlessly romantic, a "why not " book !

[Auj · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to support my writing, please check out: Audrey's Kofi

When I started reading, I thought the style of the writing was very weird, and then I realized it was because the book is mostly written in 3rd person present tense. I've read very few books written in those two tenses together.

I found this book sitting on my bookshelf in my room, and I asked my mom if this was her book. I liked the cover and have loved the few Renaissance romances I've read, so I wanted to check this book out.

Tulia Rose is in Paris to gain inspiration for her next novel when she meets a handsome but very mysterious sidewalk artist. She doesn't know his real name, but he has her call him "Raphael" after the famous painter. He tells her the story of the real Raphael, and she begins to write a novel about his secret lover. I suspected that this book had the reincarnation theme.

Don't want to spoil so Tulia was Raphael's lover in a past life, but he died before he got to tell her that he loved her. She also never let him paint her because then she wouldn't be a secret anymore, so he has a second chance to love her again and rectify this (for a short period of time, that is).

Note: This is a love story, not a romance. There is no HEA and the ending is bittersweet.
I'm having a hard time classifying this tagwise.

The premise of this book was amazing. I couldn't tell that it had been written by two different people!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A love story across the ages. Writer Tulia Rose goes to France on a trip financed by her wealthy Wall Street boyfriend to give them some "time apart." She stops to admire the work of a sidewalk artist who has created an amazing version of Raphael's cherubs. His first words to her are "I thought you weren't coming." There is instant attraction. Depending on how you look at it, what follows is either brilliant romance or incredibly creepy. I'll give the authors credit for at least making Tulia think the man might be some kind of whack job, but of course she still goes off with him. He won't tell her his real name, but since he looks so much like the Renaissance painter, she calls him Rafael. To avoid confusion they refer to the original as Raffaello. Not only does Tulia become obsessed with the painter's work, as she and Rafael become more deeply involved, she begins to have vivid dreams from the viewpoint of the woman who was Raffaello's true love. Has the painter really come back to life for the sake of the woman he loved and lost 400 years ago? Can they possibly have a future together.
While I enjoyed the story--and enjoyed learning more about the real Raphael--there was something missing for me. It all felt really contrived. But it's easy to see why many readers have been swept off their feet by this one.

[Karina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever heard a melody so sweet and perfect that it stays with you long after you've walked away? This book left me with just that kind of feeling.

The premise is that a wannabe novelist goes to France, meets this sidewalk artist who may be named Rafael, falls in love, gets inspired to write the story of the famous Rafael and his secret lover...and is forever changed by the experience.

But what makes this so beautiful and memorable is a unique way of writing and description that draws you into the story and lets you see and feel through the characters. And the story also weaves seamlessly between three different scenarios: the contemporary story, the famous Rafael's story, and writings from a travel book the heroine sometimes reads from.

I don't want to spoil this for you by saying any more, but I recommend this for anyone who likes a good story.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a masterpiece! Wow!
This flowed so well. And there's so many things in it that I'm into; art, writing, history...
I was enveloped in the whole journey. What a great story!
I liked everything about this book... even though I didn't get the ending I wanted, I'm satisfied
with it. (You'll want your tissues!) I can't believe I didn't see that plot twist coming, there was even foreshadowing that I hadn't noticed until that point when it all clicked into place! That was incredible...
And this is supposed to be their debut novel? I'm very impressed!
It goes back and forth between the time of the artist Raphael (Raffaello) to the current time with Tulia. And I like the parts of the books she reads, there's poetry and a travel book. And I never felt bored with the modern day parts, it felt older to me. Maybe cause of the words used? And magical...
I could picture everything...




*SPOILERS*

Crying so much at the beautiful way everything was written in the nice ending...
The final painting... <3 So sad he can't be with her.
But holy cow that twist at the end! I love that.
He's an angel allowed to come back to tell her he loves her.
The times they read to each other were beautiful, I want that with someone.
Would be a lot of fun.

[Hannah McLean · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really my type of book. Pretty cheesy. I liked the art history information but otherwise just a meh.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I picked up this book it was for the cover and because it's thin and I needed books for traveling. It sounded mildly interesting and a bit like an intellectual Harlequin romance. It is interesting and a bit Harlequin romancey, but I loved it. Girl whose romance is not going well is sent to Europe on her own by her wealthy boyfriend. She goes, but keeps lamenting that boyfriend didn't accompany her, the romance may have reached its end, the book she wrote didn't do well, boyfriend doesn't like her style, etc. Last day in Paris, she comes upon a sidewalk artist who is drawing Raphaello's cupid like angels. Her feet hurt (bad shoes which boyfriend would have liked) so she sits to watch him draw. He speaks to her in surprisingly good English, saying he was afraid she wouldn't come and to sit, rest and eat some oranges while he draws. So she does, thinking how handsome he is- and talented and interesting to speak with. They talk about museums and artists and then head off toward the Louve, where he leaves, having advised her what paintings to especially look for. Next day, when she goes to get her flight to Amsterdam, it is sold out, as are all others for two days. She remembers the sidewalk artists comments about how she would like Italy, so on a whim she goes to Venice instead. And there it begins.
This is a fantasy of time, love, art, art history and yet, somehow, it all works. Perhaps because it is presented as a story within a story, fantasy based somewhat on reality with wonderful true aspects to the story and amazing descriptive quality of Italy and the Renaissance art and artists. It made me want to go to Italy again- soon.
Maybe too romancey for some readers, but I find myself thinking warmly of it and would recommend it.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeanne Kalogridis, the author of "I, Mona Lisa" and "The Borgia Bride", and who also happens to be one of my favourite writers describes this book as "A deliciously dreamlike tale of modern love and Renaissance romance". I'm not sure I can do much better than that! It's such a gorgeous love story - part of me wanted to read it whilst picnicking in the Tuscan countryside under a blazing hot sun and blue sky with a glass of wine, and another part of me wanted to read it snuggled in an armchair by a fireplace with a cup of mulled wine and snow falling outside in the dark. It was such a warm, comforting read.

"The Sidewalk Artist" tells the story of Tulia Rose, who's holidaying in Europe. Whilst in Paris she meets a mysterious artist chalking paintings by the famous Rafaello 'Raphael' Sanzio on the pavement. Intrigued by his work and by the man himself Tulia is pleased when they meet again in Italy and their relationship develops.

Running alongside Tulia and the artist's story is that of the real Raphael and a mysterious, unnamed woman in 16th century Italy.

Unusually for me, I enjoyed the narrative set in the modern day just as much as I did the one set in the past.

"The Sidewalk Artist" has a really wonderful ending, and I don't want to go too much into it because it needs to be read and enjoyed fully - I will say though that I cried for about 15 minutes after finishing it, and they were tears of happiness and sadness! Suspend your disbelief for a little while and read "The Sidewalk Artist! : )

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great read, short and captivating. The novel shifts between two authors and time periods in Europe with special attention to Italy, Paris and Venice. Modern day traveler and fledgling writer Tulia Rose encounters a sidewalk-artist who immediately captures her interest and heart. The novel shifts between passages of following Tulia and her new story which is a fictional retelling of the life of artist Raphael Sanzio set in Renaissance Italy. Speculation about the life of Raphael (or Raffaello, as the Italians know him) eventually leads Tulia to understand mysterious events surrounding her own life and her lover, the sidewalk artist. The novel itself is certainly fictional, but is a very sweet and dear to romantics with a satisfying ending. I enjoyed the many references to art history and real locations and found myself looking up the paintings and artists referenced throughout the text.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A love story within a love story intertwined by some of Raphael's art and his personal angels. Novelist Tulia Rose is sent abroad by her boyfriend so they can "work out their relationship". Wandering Paris she meets a sidewalk artist calling himself Raphael. He leads her on an adventure discovering the paintings of his namesake Raphaello Sanzio, which leads her to writing her next book. We read her novel as she writes it and live her life as she is living it. A good book for fans of historical romance with a little art history thrown in for good measure. Note: collaborating authors are both Canadian.

[Dianne Landry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't normally my cup of tea but I loved this book. Tulia is traveling in Paris to work out her relationship problems when she meets Raffaele, a sidewalk artist. He charms her and gets her interested in the artist Raphael. Her trip takes a turn and she goes to Italy, where her artist follows her. A romance ensues and her life is changed forever.

I am so glad I went to see the authors speak at the library because otherwise I would never have found this book. I loved it.

[Stacey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well OF COURSE I was going to read this, as a working sidewalk artist myself and totally into the culture & lore surrounding street painting. Sadly, I'm also a fan of literature, so the writing was excruciating. But you throw in time travel, Italian villas and a painter, and I stay involved... it was like a train wreck I couldn't turn away from. Pass this one by, unless you're a big romance fan.

[Alycia · Rating 1 out of 5]

My gag reflex kicked in on page 182 and I couldn't care enough to finish.

[Jaymin Ewens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was unexpected, but captivating. A unique love story that pulled me in quickly.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

What’s not to love for historical fiction readers? Renaissance art, Venice, Florence, Rome, poetry, literature, love and loss…

I realized almost immediately, that the mysterious sidewalk artist was, in fact Raphael himself. The authors dropped clues impossible to miss.
As I am not a fan of fantasy, I was unsure about whether I wanted to buy into this particular fantasy.

The artistic, poetic, romantic part of this reader adored the descriptions of art, literature, Renaissance Italy.
The logical part of this reader struggled with the character of Raphael reincarnated.

I very much enjoyed reading this novel. The authors write beautifully and the prose and historical details are a pleasure to read.

However, I am stuck on the implausible reincarnation of Raphael and was hoping that he would become a contemporary artist whose talents and energy were devoted to imitating the great masters. I was already beginning to make up the story of who he might be, particularly when Tulia began to question whether or not, he was a stalker.

Nonetheless, I gave 5 stars to the Gina Buonaguro novel THE VIRGINS OF VENICE and look forward to reading her other novels as they contain all of the elements that I look for in the genre.

[Sabiha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a romantic fairy tale that had me in tears by the end, due to both joy and sadness. I could have never predicted the ending, which makes the book all the more heart-warming and touching.

This novel tells the story of Tulia Rose, a novelist who is spending time in Europe. While in Paris, a painting of the artist Rafaello 'Raphael' Sanzio's cherubs catches her attention. The painting is being done by a mysterious sidewalk artist who Tulia decides to call Raphael. Raphael is so mysterious that it had me wondering the whole book who he was- a con artist? a killer? an innocent man? Raphael gets Tulia intrigued to learn more about the artist Rafaello, which leads to her writing her next book. The novel essentially switches between past and present with Tulia and Raphael's love story and the heartbreaking story of Rafaello and his unnamed secret lover. The different stories flow into each other seamlessly. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a beautiful love story.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tulia loves art—that much is sure. But does she love her boyfriend? Does he love her? And who is the strange sidewalk artists whose work so captivates her? Also, why does she keep meeting the artist in different ways and places?

The Sidewalk Artist is a romantic, artistic tale, blending history and the present day with touches of mystery and magic. It’s deeply absorbing and evocative, carrying the reader to the streets of Paris and Venice, and carrying the protagonist from writers’ block to a moving portrayal of the painter Raphael and his unknown love.

Both stories—Raphael’s and Tulia’s—come to pleasing fruition in this novel by Gina Buonaguro and Janice Kirk. Mysteries and uncertainties grow, darken, and lift their veils. And the ending is beautifully consistent with the steps that come before, making this a treat to read and a keeper for the bookshelf. I really enjoyed it.

Disclosure: I got it at a library sale and I loved it.

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intertwined stories of modern day Tulia and a mysterious sidewalk artist Raphael who she meets on a solo trip to Europe, and the Italian painter Raphael and his unnamed beloved. Mostly a romance, but the snippets from the book Tulia is writing bring in a historical element and keep it from becoming too Harlequin-y.

I liked how things turned out for Tulia with her career and relationships (Ethan, her parents), but don't quite understand the ending. Are we to believe that Raphael is a reincarnation of his famous namesake? And Tulia of his beloved? Still a fun summer read.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light, relatively short novel about new beginnings and love. I like the European settings of France and Italy. I also enjoyed the idea of intertwining the story of the novel with the writings of the MC, Tulia Rose. The authors explored an interesting idea and I was mildly surprised by where the finale went. A charming book.

[Leanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick fun dreamy read. Perfect for the first two days of vacation. Some factual errors that art historians and lovers will need to overlook to enjoy, but overall, a sweet story

[Library Nymph · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An inconsequential, though pleasant, time-bending romance. Though I doubt that I will ever forge who painted those little cherubs that were on my checks about 20 years ago.

[Pat Edwards · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very good ending, but dragged somewhat through the middle. I wanted to like it better than I did. It did make me look up Raphael's paintings so I could see them at the same time as the character.

[Anastasia Musman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love story across time.

[Lagobond · Rating 1 out of 5]

Filed under Dime-a-Dozen Romances Written by American Women Writers Idealizing Europe, Particularly France, And Who Have Never Left the US Or Had an Original Thought in their Lives

[Jackie Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and charming throughout while also bittersweet at times. I found myself both enchanted by and frustrated with the main character.

[Marni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this 'book within a book'!

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written, evocative and lyrically romantic book.

The dual stories - one in present day, and another in the past - feature is something I enjoy in a book if it is well handled, and it is in this book.

The plot is also extremely romantic but the romance is gentle and understated and is a feature of the plot rather than the focus of it.

The authors do a good job of meshing the history and the characters with the beauty of Italy and the history of the times as well as the artistic environment that plays a large role in the story.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, but I did have difficulty liking Tulia, the present-day heroine. While I appreciate that her foibles were a necessary part of moving the plot foward, her quirks made it hard for me to connect with her, and so I struggled to really root for her.

The past story, on the other hand I loved every bit of! The romance and the obstacles those characters faced had me entirely engrossed from the first line.

The ending wrapped up both stories in a way that I felt was perfect, and resolved all my beefs quite neatly.

If you enjoy quiet, gentle, romantic historical fiction that combines well-written characters with a slightly magical story, this may be something for you.

[Rachel G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tulia Rose has a decision to make. She left her boyfriend in New York and let him finance a trip for her to Europe for 6 weeks so they could take a break from their relationship and possibly start fresh when she returns. While in Paris, she encounters a sidewalk artist and has to decide if what she has back home is worth working on, or if she should allow herself fall in love with the artist. This artist won't tell her his name so she starts to call him Raphael after the Raphael cherubs art he has recreated in chalk on the sidewalk. She is inspired to write a novel from his story of how he met his true love, and this is where the story gets interesting as Tulia's novel about the artist Raffaello Sanzio and the love of his life becomes part of this novel and the storylines run in parallel to each other. Tulia explores what might have happened near the end of Raffaello's life in her book as she discovers his paintings throughout Italy & Europe. She also explores her feelings for Raphael and tries to figure him out. Will she go back to her boring life in New York? Will she stay with Raphael? Read the book to find out!