My "River God" is inspired by a view of "Ganges", one of four statues that make up the remarkable Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) in Rome's Piazza Navona. The fountain was designed by Bernini in 1651. Each statue represents the four major rivers of the four continents through which papal authority had spread. My favourite was Ganges, representing Asia. I studied the sculpture up close one Sunday morning at sunrise with few tourists around me. Half of the marble was in cool shade, and the other half in light that was growing increasingly warm and bright.