Almost a Lady, romance paperback cover c. 1996

Robert Maguire, sometime in the 20th century, made this paperback cover, likely in oil paint, with confident brushstrokes and a touch of drama. I can almost feel the chill in the air, can't you? There’s this tension, not just between the figures but in the paint itself. Thick strokes build up the snow-covered mountains, while thinner washes create the sky, it's like he’s wrestling with the scene, pushing and pulling at the light and shadow. Look at the way he's painted the woman’s hair, that pinkish-red against the cool blues of the background. I imagine him, brush in hand, thinking about contrast, about how to make her stand out, even as she's trapped, literally, by those handcuffs. What was Maguire thinking? Was he into melodrama? Was it a kind of inside joke? It’s a little bit hokey, for sure. I can imagine him having a great time painting this. Maguire was part of a long conversation among painters, each of them borrowing, stealing, and riffing off what came before. They teach us that painting isn't just about rendering reality but about feeling it, wrestling with it, and letting the messiness of life seep into the canvas.