
Artist: Peter Attard
Peter Attard created contemporary category and historical covers for publishers such as Avon, Dorchester, Bantam, and Mills & Boon/ Harlequin. His artwork is peak 1980s and 1990s romance.
There are several men in the field of arts with the name Attard, so it was difficult to find information on this talented artist. This particular gentleman hails from Australia and worked in New York during his heyday as a paperback illustrator.
Attard’s vocation inspired his nephew, Mark Attard, to become a painter. Today, the latter is a successful musician/artist.
Peter Attard’s style is reminiscent of some of his contemporaries, such as George A. Bush and Ray Olivere, invoking a fantastical fairy-tale quality to his clinches, as opposed to realism or extreme sensuality. His use of bright colors and pastels gives his images an eye-catching appeal.
The Covers
Sweet Savage Flame’s Covers of the Week for Monday, October 17, 2022, to October 23, 2022, shows off four charming and lovely romance covers painted by Peter Attard.
Three of these illustrations are similar in looks and pose, one isn’t. Have fun guessing which! 😛




Summer’s Night, Virginia Lynn, Bantam, 1992
Surrender in Scarlet, Patricia Camden, Avon, 1991
The Homeward Heart, Kathy Keller, Dorchester, 1988

THANKS FOR SHARING…I miss the trend of photos instead of art for romances…I think of artists who don’t have steady jobs…
I miss them too! And yes, the rise of digital has reduced many pathways for not just artists, but photographers and models as well. It’s a dying artform, but we’ll try to keep its memory alive.