Riders and Romances

This spring, as the Amherst Historical Commission put forward a request for Community Preservation Act funds for the restoration of paintings hanging in the Jones Library (still need to post about that), it occurred to me that most residents had at best a dim awareness that we owned an art collection. In preparation for any questions in Town Meeting, I took a stroll through the building in order to re-familiarize myself with the location of each work of art.

Lo and behold, I came across one of the canvases—Paul Dominique's late 19th-century "Arabs Mounted in Battle"—hanging over: the romance collection.

I'll bet that even some of the more dedicated lovers of this beloved institution didn't know that we owned this one, much less, where to find it. And beneath the venerable painting, we find such alluring titles as One Fine Cowboy: He's got a way with horses. . . and with women . . . .

What's the connection (besides physical proximity—and studs on stallions)? Actually, maybe more than you think.


Read the rest on the book blog:  Gotta Love Those Romance Titles (or: the price of freedom is eternal kitsch).