An odd interior illustration by the prolific American illustrator Fredric Varady, this large scale painting accompanied a story titled “The Payoff” on page 45 of the April 1950 issue of an as-of-yet unidentified mainstream American magazine. This classic depiction of post-WWII co-eds takes the buttoned up wholesome style of Cold War Americana to an almost surreal extreme. The scene shows emotions running high after a master of ceremony type in top hat and tails has seemingly convinced the figures in the background to wager on a group of laboratory rats in a high stakes, gravity defying race. Did someone spike the punch? Painting was originally owned and sold privately by the Illustration House in New York City. Work is matted but not framed.