Artist Victor Gadino is offering prints and products featuring his amazing romance cover art for sale at Fine Art America.
Visit Fine Art America to Purchase Victor Gadino’s Art
As Sweet Savage Flame, we’re not shy about our adoration for New York artist Victor Gadino. Now here’s a fantastic chance for romance cover art enthusiasts to buy a masterpiece created by one of our favorite cover artists. At Fine Art America, Gadino is offering his beautiful work for sale.
His romance cover designs may be found on a wide range of products for extremely reasonable prices. You can get a small print for less than $20! If you really want to go all out, you can get a fully framed, portrait-sized print to display prominently in your home.
Maybe you can even own an original Gadino painting!
More Than Just Paintings, Many Fun Products For Sale
Gadino recently started offering some of his iconic romance oil paintings as affordable posters, notebooks, face masks, t-shirts, totes, phone cases, and other fun items on Fine Art America.
One just has to click here: Buy Victor Gadino Art. Or go to the FineArtAmerica.com site and search for “Victor Gadino” to see the items. The quality of the products is excellent, as one would expect from a maestro of sensuality.
We’ve highlighted Gadino’s erotic artwork many times here on this site. You can look at our Victor Gadino page to see some of his work for romance book covers.
Not only are these pieces beautiful, but they’re also a great way to add a little diversity to your walls.
Victor Gadino
The original artwork has been featured on the book covers of some of the most beloved romance novels ever. Now they are available for fans of Victor’s work to purchase in an array of stunning prints, canvases, and products.
Browse Victor’s pieces to find the perfect addition to your home, office, or collection. These unique and high-quality products make an excellent gift for any romantic at heart.
To learn more about Victor’s works and availability, check out his website for more information! In addition to selling giclee prints of your favorite covers, you can acquire his non-romance-related art from his site.
Act Fast or Miss Out Owning a Fantastic Work of Romance History
Don’t miss out on Victor’s beautiful artwork. Visit Fine Art America today to explore Victor Gadino’s art and purchase your favorite pieces.
Victor Gadino‘s artwork is extraordinary in its unique blend of modern and classic styles. His works bring us an entirely new perspective on art and creativity. Fine Art America is proud to offer these magnificent pieces of art for sale, so don’t miss this opportunity to own a piece of history!
Romance art is hot right now, and these pieces will go fast. Best of luck!
We hope these stunning Gadino images add beauty and joy to your days!
Jon Paul Ferrarais one of the most talented artists/photographers in the industry today. His covers appear regularly in most select novels, particularly romance. Ferrara started his work in the 1990s for publishing houses such as Harlequin Historicals and Kensington’s Zebra imprints.
Ferrara studied his craft at the New York Academy of Fine Arts. He also attended the prestigious National Academy of Design.
Like Pino or Franco, Ferrara is widely known by his first–and (in this case) also middle–name, Jon Paul. He was one of the early innovators of digital covers. Jon Paul’s style has evolved over the years, but his signature is as noticeable as ever.
Since the fusion of digital, photography, and old-fashioned painting/illustration, he has been one of the most sought-out and popular cover artists.
Ferrara’s artwork has received more than 20 awards for excellence from the Romance Writers of America, often placing in two or more of the top ten positions.
Ever vigilant in expanding his horizons, Jon Paul pursues his fine art as well as his commercial ventures. Both are enjoyed by thousands of fans that visit his website every year.
The Covers
For our Covers of the Week for Monday, September 12, 2022, to Sunday, September 18, 2022, we’re highlighting the early romance covers designed by Jon Paul Ferrara.
(From left to right, top to bottom) Honeyed Lies, Claire Delacroix, Harlequin, 1994 Lady Patience, Annette Blair, Zebra, 1999 Sweet Possession, Candace McCarthy, Zebra, 1999 Briar Rose, Kimberly Cates, Pocket Books, 1999
When one thinks of old-school romance books, often the first name associated with them is the male model Fabio and “cheesy covers.”
The granite-jawed male model was featured on many romance novel covers in the 198s and 1990s. “Back in the day,” Fabio Lanzoni posed for hundreds of romances–to the delight of many readers.
Like bodice rippers of yesteryear, model Fabio Lanzoni has been unfairly maligned and mocked by many modern romance readers. There’s a sentiment of contempt displayed at the old clinch covers, with some even declaring that they, along with Fabio, represented a low point in the genre.
The Conqueror, Brenda Joyce, Dell, Elaine Duillo cover art.
As a fan of Fabio and old-school romance, I cannot emphasize how wrong I think these detractors are.
The painted covers of vintage romances were created by talented artists who used beautiful men and women as models. The covers were works of art, despite–or perhaps because of–their gratuitous sexual nature.
Fabio, More Than Meets the Eye
Lovers of romance should embrace that period in history. They fail to understand that model Fabio Lanzoni was supposed to be over-the-top and outlandish. He was advertising an exaggerated fantasy that we all knew was a bit ridiculous.
Fabio is in the shower
In trying to defend their beloved books, some fans take them too seriously. The romance novel industry has always been outrageous and irreverent by its nature, which is part of the fun.
We romance readers in the 1990s were far savvier than our contemporaries give us credit for. We were in on the joke. It was about all of us enjoying the show. Fabio always laughed along with us, embracing his beefcake status.
Master of the Heart, Terri Valentine, Zebra, Franco cover art
The Beginning
Early Life
Fabio Lanzoni was born in Milan, Italy, on March 15, 1961. His father was Sauro Lanzoni, a mechanical engineer and owner of a conveyor-belt company. Flora Carnicelli Lanzoni, his mother, was a former beauty queen. He was raised in a loving family with siblings. As a child, Fabio was even an altar boy.
Fabio grew into a handsome young man. His large, muscular figure made him natural for the camera.
Fabio looking fab
His career began at age 14 when he was discovered by a photographer who asked him to model for Italian Vogue magazine.
Following a stint in the army, Lanzoni came to the United States to further develop his career. He moved to New York City to become a fashion and catalog model and signed with the Ford Agency.
Fabio Lanzoni, GQMagazi
Early Career
During the early part of his modeling career, Fabio obtained many jobs in print ads, magazines, and books. He also posed on video game covers.
Fabio made his first appearance on the cover of a romance novel in 1987. He posed on the back of the Bertrice Small bodice ripper, Enchantress Mine, as the ironically and unfortunately misnamed villain, Eric Longsword.
Legendary artist Elaine Duillo discovered Fabio through photos. She thought there was something unique about him that would make him a natural fit for her colorful work.
When Duillo designed her first cover for Johanna Lindsey, she used Fabio as the hero. This was the 1987 Viking romanceHearts Aflame. It was a smash hit, reaching number 3 on the N.Y. Times bestseller list.
Duillo would continue to paint Lindsey’s covers for the next decade until she retired in the early 2000s. She used Fabio as her primary male model for Lindsey’s books.
Hearts Aflame, Johanna Lindsey, 1987, Elaine Duillo cover art
The Covers: Part I
Some Fabio covers:
A Romance Sensation
Fabio was not Duillo’s official muse as a model. Even so, no other artist captured Fabio’s look better than she did. However, Elain and Fabio only worked together on fewer than twenty books. Duillo painted other models— female and male– much more than that, including Chad Deal. (40+ vs. 19).
Other artists, such as Elaine’s daughter, Melissa Duillo-Gallo, Sharon Spiak, Max Ginsburg, John Ennis, and Pino, also painted his form. Fabio’s face is so unique that he looks different from cover to cover, depending on the artist.
Mystic Rebel VI, Ryder Syvertsen, Pinnacle, cover artist TBD
Fabio posed solo for a couple of Laura Kinsale’s books. The first and most notable was The Prince of Midnight. This romance was a roaring success. This was not just because of the fine quality of Kinsale’s writing.
The Prince of Midnight, Laura Kinsale, Avon, Steve Assel
Editors found that Fabio’s image boosted book sales. All the major publishers were eager to use him. Avon, Bantam, Dell, Dorchester, Harlequin, Warner Books, Kensington (Zebra), and others had him pose as their leading men.
Model Lianna Loggins was undoubtedly one of the female models who appeared on most romance novel covers with Fabio: at least a hundred.
Dark Whispers, Marylyle Rogers, Avon, 1992, Elaine Duillo
Pop Culture Status
By the early 1990s, Fabio was fully entrenched as a romance genre staple. The now-defunct Romantic Times had him as their centerfold in 1992. Fabio appeared at numerous conventions, to the delight of his many fans.
Fabio’s fame grew more prominent in the cultural zeitgeist after being made the official face of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! He starred in a series of campy commercials that were enormously successful.
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Ad
Later, he was a spokesman for the American Cancer Society. This was personal to him, as he lost a sister to the deadly disease.
Eventually, Fabio made his way to screen and television, such as in the daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful and in movies like Dude, Where’s My Car?
Fabio & Darlene Conelly on The Bold and the Beautiful
Fabio, the Romance Author & Modelling Legacy
As time went on, Fabio even wrote a few novels himself. He published several books that–naturally–featured him on the cover. Fabio came up with an overall plot and gave dictation for dialogue.
Journey-woman Eugenia Riley ghostwrote most of his books for Avon. He also wrote three more books in collaboration with Wendy Corsi Staub that Pinnacle Books published.
Rogue, Fabio, Avon, Elaine Duillo cover art.
As a model, Fabio was featured on many romance covers, posing for 466 novels (or more).
Fabio officially retired in the late 1990s, except to pose for the books “he” wrote.
Nevertheless, some of his photos from previous assignments were recycled into new covers. Elaine Duillo used the sketches from the shoot for Rebecca Brandewyne’s Swan Road stepback to transform them into a new stepback cover for Johanna Lindsey’s Joining.
Joining, Johanna Lindsey, Avon, 1999, Elaine Duillo cover art
Fabio Today
Fabio became a U.S. citizen in 2016.
He still maintains a grueling workout regimen to keep his body in tip-top shape. Fabio also purportedly sleeps in a hyperbaric chamber, which he says “Helps reverse the aging process.”
Now in 2021, Fabio is still as handsome as ever at the age of 61.
To this day, he remains a bachelor. However, the word is out he’s finally looking for a lady to settle down with. So there is still hope for that special someone!
Fabio today
Final Thoughts on Fabio
Fabio was not the first, and likely, he won’t be the last superstar cover model. During Fabio’s reign as “King of the Romance Covers,” other sunning men like John DeSalvo and Steve Sandalis achieved acclaim.
After his retirement, Rob Ashton, Cherif Fortin, and Joe Anselmo rose to stardom. All of them had long hair like Fabio–although they were brunets. (So is Fabio, naturally. He dyed his hair blond.)
But though he may have his imitators, there was one and only one Fabio.
Fabio in a loin cloth
I always considered Fabio easy on the eyes. He certainly was pleasing to look upon. Even so, I never pictured him as my ideal hero.
Regardless, I treasured his charm, his ultra-macho yet sensitive aura, and his ability for self-deprecation. Fabio embraced who he was: a romance icon.
Plus, above all, he loved his fans. In turn, Fabio’s fans adored him for who he was!
Fabio haters, please go and enjoy your favorite hunky models in peace. We Fabio lovers will be here to have a good time smiling over his hundreds of beautiful covers.
Melissa Duillo-Gallo painted beautiful romance covers. Shewas born to paint and comes from a legendary family of artists. We’re highlighting her gorgeous artwork this week.
Artist: Melissa Duillo-Gallo
The Duillo family was filled with artistic talent. There was John Duillo, the great pulp cover artist. Of course, his wife, Elaine, was a pioneer for women in the field. She painted pulp covers and went on to become the “Queen of Romance Covers.” Did you know their daughter, Melissa Duillo-Gallo, was also a romance cover illustrator?
From the 1980s to the 1990s, Melissa Gallo (née Duillo) was a prolific historical romance cover artist, creating works for publishers such as Avon, Dell, Warner, Zebra, and more. While she and her mother no longer illustrate romance covers, Melissa is still creating art as a talented painter.
Melissa Gallo Paints is where you can get access to her current work. I also have a dedicated Pinterest page for her romance covers here.
For a long time, I used to get Elaine and Melissa’s artwork confused. Now I can spot the differences between mom’s and her daughter’s work.
For one thing, Melissa Duillo-Gallo preferred her cover models to wear more clothes, and also, she was more conservative with the use of eyeshadow, especially for the heroes!
Both Duillo ladies collaborated with supermodel Fabio many times.
The Covers
Here are some lovely romance covers for you to enjoy that Melissa Duillo-Gallo designed. These are ourCovers of the Week for Monday, July 19, to Sunday, July 25,