Ten years later she was the toast of Manhattan—in Ethel Barrymore’s phrase, “a Venus de Milo with arms.” Fifteen years later she was hobnobbing with Edward VII at Marienbad. Twenty years ...

Some of the reasons for this popularity are obvious. The Venus de Milo is in fact a glorious work of art. Then, of course, the missing arms make the statue instantly recognizable and give it what ...