Falcons Island paperback cover 1973

This cover for "Falcons Island" was painted by Victor Prezio, probably in the 60s or 70s. The way the house sits right on top of that craggy island is really unnerving, and he renders it all in a cool, spectral palette. I love how Prezio handles the materiality of paint here. It's definitely paint, and he's not trying to hide that fact. In the sky, the pigment is so thin it's almost like watercolor, but then, he builds up the rocks with these expressive, gestural strokes. Look at how those brushstrokes capture the texture, the grit, the roughness of the stone! And that woman floating above it all! Her face is so pale, except for those bright red lips; that little pop of color is incredibly effective. Something about Prezio's process reminds me of Remedios Varo, not necessarily in terms of subject matter, but in how they both embrace the strangeness that painting can offer.