James Avati, Pulp Cover Artist

Signet #1064, The Descent by Fritz Peters [1953]

James Avati (American, 1912-2005)

28 x 24 in.

Collection of Françoise Berserik

Known as 'The Rembrandt of Paperback Book Covers," James Avati is probably the most well known paperback cover artist. For more information, see The Paperback Art of James Avati by Piet Schreuders and Kenneth Fulton (Donald M. Grant, 2005) or the documentary of the same name.

This painting is typical of Avati's style. It was used for the cover of the Signet paperback edition of Fritz Peters' The Descent, a novel that takes place on the roads and highways of the United States, ending in a catastrophic event in New Mexico.