Fortunino Matania - Petronius Condemned to Die - 1935

Fortunino Matania - Petronius Arbiter - Old Tales Re-Told - Britannia and Eve Magazine February 1935 and reprinted in December 2 1950 Everybody's Magazine.

Sumptuously detailed, Matania's double page spreads typically broke down the composition into two distinct images taking into account the centerfold. Here, however, he's created a more centrally oriented composition. Though he still splits the scene, it reads much tighter as a single coherent image. Despite a typically cluttered background, the viewers eye is drawn into a circular path that leads from Petronius down to the dancer, through her graceful pose to the foreground objects, then up along the arm of the gesturing man to Petronius himself. The cycle repeats itself and it's easy to get caught up in the circle.

Thanks to Knave Musikspieler pointing out it was also used as a wraparound cover for the Mexican publication, Sucesos para Todos in 1935. I was able to track down an image. See the additional pic below.

As a side note curiosity, there is a vintage passport stamp from the Koln Airport in Germany on the reverse of the piece. Perhaps Matania was traveling at the time he completed the piece and it necessitated processing through customs.