Ed Runci is an outstanding but unfortunately little-known or talked-about artist. According to pin-up authority Charles Martignette, Runci was a portrait artist in Hollywood when he was approached by a calendar company for pin-ups.

In the vein of such greats as Elvgren, Runci girls often find themselves in compromising situations; climbing a fence to flee a bull, dress blowing up on a ferris wheel ride, and so forth.

But we must not forget that Runci was first and foremost a portrait artist. To that end, I hope that the painting in the upper right hand corner was, in fact, a portrait. The world would be a better place with such beauty, if only for a fleeting moment.