The Great Gatsby First Issue Dust Jacket Rear Panel.

The iconic dust jacket design for The Great Gatsby, created by Francis Cugat in 1924, has become an integral part of the novel’s identity, despite being designed before Fitzgerald had completed the manuscript. Commissioned by Scribner’s Sons, Cugat was given minimal direction, relying instead on his understanding of the novel’s themes—wealth, excess, and the disillusionment of the American Dream. Featuring a striking, ethereal likeness of a woman’s face with large, captivating eyes set against a blue night sky filled with city lights, the jacket painting evokes the image of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’s billboard in the novel, symbolizing the moral decay of society, while the vibrant city lights suggest the allure and emptiness of Gatsby’s world. Fitzgerald reportedly reacted positively to the design, feeling that it captured the essence of his novel, even before its completion.