Cover Art of The Great Gatsby

The famous cover art of The Great Gatsby is a striking image, subtly representing the themes and tone of the novel. However, not many know of the story behind it: created by Spanish artist, Francisco Coradal-Cougat aka Francis Cugat, Celestial Eyes was an unusual case where the cover art was designed before the book was finished. The duo were each other’s source for artistic inspirations, which invokes the possibility of this being a collaborative effort between the two. Fitzgerald himself requested the art to be held for him, which brought on many theories about the reasons why. The most likely being that the piece perfectly mirrored the themes of the book or specifically, Daisy’s character. Regardless, Cugat was paid the sum of $100 for the cover and it was the only cover he ever designed. When the 2013 adaptation of The Great Gatsby came out, the replacement of the famous cover with Leonardo DeCaprio’s likeness caused a controversy among readers and retailers, which showcases how the cover stood against the tests of time.