Sometimes, you just can’t help wondering whether artists and sculptors are playing some sort of elaborate joke on their publics. I was reminded of this in August at Bellagio, on the Lago di Como, as we walked across the sublime gardens of the Villa Melzi. Now, I don’t mean to be facetious or disrespectful, but where is the dog in my picture looking (and, I assure you, it doesn’t matter what angle you look at the sculpture from, as this alternative view illustrates)? The dog, supposedly man’s best friend, has even got a faintly sinister smile on its face.