A Kiss From Johnny, McCall’s Magazine illustration 1952

Robert G. Harris made this painting, "A Kiss From Johnny", for McCall’s Magazine, but we don't know exactly when. I can just imagine this guy Harris in his studio, maybe somewhere in the city, dreaming up this fantasy scene! It's all about the story, isn’t it? What's she painting before the dreamy fella sweeps her off her feet, brushes and all? I love the little details, like the palette full of warm colors, and the way the light hits their faces. Harris is playing with some pretty classic ideas around romance and the creative life. It's soft and dreamy – the brushwork is subtle, but controlled. There’s something about the embrace that’s timeless, but there's a playful vibe, like a scene from a movie. You can see how illustrators like Harris were in dialogue with painters like Norman Rockwell, sharing ideas about how to capture human emotion. These paintings celebrate the everyday, turning simple gestures into something beautiful and resonant, embracing ambiguity and uncertainty.