A man stands darkly silhouetted in front of a gray, clouded, empty surface leaning against the wall of a room (p. 7). His arms hang loosely by his sides; although his eyes are invisible, he seems to be looking directly into the camera. For over six months now, this man has been struggling with the task of painting a mural, nearly two-and-a-half meters high and over six meters long (8 x 19 feet), for the entry hall of a wealthy collector's house. The enormous canvas stands in his New York apartment, where a wall had to be torn out to accommodate it. Now, just after Christmas 1943, the time for procrastination has run out. The collector is planning a party, and she insists the canvas must be finished by that date.