Top Choice, Mac’s Resin Coat advertisement 1955

Edward Runci painted ‘Top Choice’, a Mac’s Resin Coat advertisement, with oils in a very particular way. The colours are all very soft and sweet, aren't they? Look how the sky blue dress melts into her flesh. I imagine he started with thin washes of colour, slowly building up the tones and blending everything together. You can almost feel the patience and care he took to get that super-smooth finish. I wonder, when Runci was making this, if he was thinking about how his painting could be as appealing as a shiny new car. What was it like to create a commercial image like this? I guess, maybe, it’s not so different from what I do. I mean, you're trying to seduce the viewer, right? The way the model holds that tiny red car is really interesting. It's like she's presenting it to you, saying, "Here, have a dream." But, of course, this dream is also about consumerism. All painters are in an ongoing conversation. It’s a back and forth across time. They all inform each other, inspiring creativity. I love that painting, like life, can embrace multiple interpretations.