The Heart of a Woman: Harlequin Cover Art 1949 - 2009

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but if it’s Harlequin cover art, how can you resist?

Marking Harlequin’s 60th anniversary, the publisher presents its touring exhibit, “The Heart of a Woman: Harlequin Cover Art 1949-2009” inside Paris Las Vegas. 

While the romance stories entertained readers, it is the Harlequin artwork on these book covers that enticed readers in the first place. These book covers reflected the changing social opinion regarding romance, gender and more.  

See more than 100 original works of art, from Harlequin's beginnings in 1949 to present day. Featuring 60 years of cover artwork, these illustrations reflect everything from personal desires to the rising independence of women.

Each section is separated into different time periods. One section shows a gallery of cover art displaying the sexual tension between doctors and nurses and another shows women being the dominant (and sometimes only) character in the picture. Today, Harlequin cover art mainly focuses on the male physique and even more so, photographic art. 

The exhibit also spotlights some of the notable artists who created these pieces and how the artistic process changed through the decades. Authors showcased include Will Davis, Max Ginsburg, Paul Anna Soik, Jack Haman and Norm Eastern to name a few.

Right before you leave, make sure to check out the dozens of actual romance novels with Harlequin cover art. 

The next time you’re in a thrift store, you might want to pick up and dust off one of those old romance novels. Once you have a greater appreciation for the art, you might just have the curiosity to see what the story's all about. 

-- Review by Jeannie Borbe