John McAllister makes pretty paintings. In today’s world that makes him controversial. Popular among collectors and galleries all over the world, museums have rarely showcased McAllister’s work. Is it because he steers away from the conceptual and the heavy? Inspired by the Post-Impressionist era, and masters Bonnard and Matisse, McAllister unapologetically honors landscapes, flowers, colorful interiors, and still lifes with a chromatic palette that, yes, may strike viewers as charming. —E.C.