Tom Sciacca: Proposed Cover Design for Ruth Rendell Novel

Proposed cover design by Tom Sciacca for Ruth Rendell’s novel One Across, Two Down. Original graphite and colored pencil drawing on onionskin paper, sheet 6¼ x 10 inches; image 4³⁄₁₆ x 6⅞ inches. Signed and dated beneath the drawing to October 1985, with handwritten title, “Bantam—Mystery,” dimensions, and instructions reserving space for typography. An atmospheric courtyard scene, its steep architectural perspective framing a watching face, a figure emerging from the ground, and a shovel. Sciacca began his freelance illustration career in 1984, producing work for Bantam Doubleday Dell, Random House, Penguin, and publications including the New York Times and Vogue. Apparently unused. Old tape residue and staining at the sheet edges, concealable by matting; light creasing, including a diagonal crease through the image.