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.