On offer is a defining menace-themed oil on canvas pulp cover painting by Rafael DeSoto which appeared on the October, 1934 issue of Black Book Detective Magazine, with an occult scene evoking the mysteries of Halloween. A provocatively posed blonde in rapturous abandon stands before the eerie fire of a cauldron, holding the flames in her hands and proving herself mistress of the darkness, as a robed and masked assistant prepares a bound young couple for ritualistic sacrifice in a Blaze of Glory. DeSoto excelled at creating covers that iconically captured the fear, terror and danger which were the calling cards of the menace pulp titles of the Art Deco era.
Painting is handsomely framed and in a fine state of conservation.
