Francesco Accornero (Franco)

Franco, An Italian Born Artist

Francesco Maria Accornero was a renowned romance cover artist for many publishers.

Better known by his nickname Franco, he was born in Cava de’ Tirreni, Italy on December 4, 1938. Franco would graduate with a degree in Electrical Engineering from Instituto di Alessandro Volta Napoli.

Franco worked for The Ministry of Transportation in Rome. Eventually, he would find his true calling was art, not engineering or logistics. Later, he emigrated to America to seek a career in art.

Franco studied in New York at The Visual Art Institute.

Career As a Cover Artist

For over 50 years Franco would go on to produce many designs as an artist. He worked in both fine and commercial art.

He created around 8-10 book covers each month. Franco worked with all major romance publishing houses such as Dorchester, Harlequin, Kensington, Bantam, Dell, and New American Library. As a result, thousands of romances bear his beautiful covers.

His illustrations have been seen all around the world in dozens of nations. At one time, he was the most sought out and the highest-paid artist in his field. Franco was an admirer of the works of Elaine Duillo, as well as Victor Gadino, John Ennis, and Charles Gehm.

He was an innovator in cover art design. Due to his fascination with the capabilities of technology, Franco always pushed the boundaries of his art. Before making an early transition to digital artwork in the 1990s, he had worked primarily in oils.

Death & Legacy

Sadly, Franco died on April 14, 2020, in Stamford, Connecticut of prostate cancer. He left behind many admirers of his beautiful artwork. Most importantly, he is missed by his loving family, including a wife and son.